Pak PM Nawaz Sharif vows to 'clean this region of terrorism'

Peshawar, Dec 17: Pakistan and Afghanistan have decided to launch fresh operations against terrorists in the wake of Peshawar school massacre by Taliban as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed to "clean this region of terrorism."

"Our aim is to clean this region of terrorism. Not only Pakistan and Afghanistan but indeed this entire region should be cleaned of terrorism," he told an All Parties Conference. [Peshawar school attack: As it happened]

His statement came in the aftermath of the Peshawar school massacre in which at least 132 students and nine staffers were killed by Taliban militants and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call that India and Pakistan and humanity should join hands to comprehensively defeat terrorism.

"Yesterday's incident is extremely tragic," Sharif said, as he announced the lifting of self-imposed moratorium on death penalties in terror cases. "These sacrifices will not go waste and we all want complete elimination of terrorism from Pakistan," he said.

"We must not forget these scenes... The way they (militants) left bullet holes in the bodies of innocent kids, the way they tore apart their faces with bullets," he said.

Sharif said he spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last night to discuss how both countries could do more to fight terrorism.

The two leaders agreed to launch fresh operations on their respective sides of the border, he added.

PTI