Terrorists along with facilitators will not be spared: PM Nawaz

MADINA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that the government has taken bold decisions to curb terrorism, according to a report on Radio Pakistan.

Addressing members of the Pakistani community in Madina, the PM said that Operation Zarb-e-Azab will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist and that the facilitators of terrorists will not be spared either.

He also mentioned the national consensus and the commitment of the political parties to amend the army Act.

He went on to say that the law and order situation in Karachi was improving due to effective measures taken by the government. He said attempts to deteriorate law and order in the country will not be tolerated.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan is facing huge challenges like economy, terrorism and energy crisis. He hoped that load shedding would be overcome during the next three years before completion of tenure of the present government. He added that an additional 10,000 MW of electricity would be added to the national grid by end of 2017 and Bunji, Bhasha and Diamir dams would generate around 16000 MW and help meet future needs of the country, once complete.

He further said that foreign exchange reserves of the country have crossed 11 billion dollars in 20 months. He added that transparency was being ensured at all levels and all decisions were being taken on merit to ensure rule of law.

The PM also said that Pakistan wants dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues. He expressed concern over the firing incidents at the border. He said Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have also improved. He added that Pakistan also wants to expand relations with Saudi Arabia in all fields.

The Prime Minister is in Madina after performing Umra in Makkah.

He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy deep-rooted and historic ties, which will grow stronger with the passage of time.

He lauded the role of expatriate Pakistanis in the development of Saudi Arabia.

He said it is a matter of pride for over two million Pakistanis that they are working in their second home and sending remittances of around 4.75 billion dollars to Pakistan annually.

The PM also said the two countries will continue to exchange delegations to further promote and strengthen their friendship.