How long will Pak's resolve to uproot terrorism last, asks Sena

Mumbai, Dec 23: The Shiv Sena today said it is to be seen how long the Pakistan's crackdown on terrorists lasts, in the wake of the massacre of school children in Peshawar.

"(Pakistani Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif had announced that he will uproot terrorism from his country's soil. People want to know how long will Sharif's resolve to finish the terrorists last," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said today.

However, appreciating the initiative taken by the neighbouring country to tackle terrorism, it said, "For now, the Pakistani government and its Army are on the offensive against the Talibani terrorists and are continuing to take steps to eliminate them. This step is admirable."

Last week, more than 100 children were killed by gunmen wearing suicide vests at the Army Public School in Peshawar, sparking international outrage and demands in Pakistan for a tougher stand against the Taliban. After the attack, the Pakistani PM had lifted the moratorium on executions in terror cases.

The Sena said that the Pakistani government should not forget that the number of terrorists being eliminated by its Army were in hundreds, while lakhs of terrorists were still roaming freely in the country. "Will the Pakistani government show the courage to eliminate each and every one of them," the editorial said.

"If Pakistan would have reigned in these terrorist outfits at the time of their inception, there would have been no bomb blasts there and children would not have been killed," the Sena said. "The question remains whether they (Pakistan government) have learnt their lessons now," it said.

The Sena said that the Taliban is like a bone which has got stuck in Pakistan's neck and it can neither swallow nor throw it away. "The time has come for them to throw away this bone now. There lies the interest of the world," it said.

PTI