Pakistan 'on war footing to smash Taliban'

LAHORE: Pakistan is being put on a "war footing" to counter a surge in terrorism, according to a senior leader in the ruling party who promised military strikes against the Taliban and brushed aside human rights fears about draconian new anti-terror laws, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah in an interview to British news paper ‘The Guardian’ told that the time had finally come to "smash" militant safe havens.

According to the Guardian report, Rana Sanaullah said a decision had been made to launch military operations but the army would be left to decide exactly what form any operation would take.

"We believe that drone attacks damage the terrorists, very much," he said, admitting much of the outrage over drones was contrived.