Who brought terrorists to Pakistan?

A Pakistani top official on Wednesday asked who brought terrorists to Pakistan after the country has been scrambling to deal with terrorist incidents. The country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif questioned who brought back terrorists to the country after the old enemy, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing in Peshawar in which dozens of people were killed and wounded.

TTP claimed one of its members carried out the suicide bombing that killed 101 people and wounded nearly 250 others. A brother of the slain commander of the TTP Umar Khalid Khurasani claimed that the suicide attack was part of the revenge attack for his brother who was killed last August in Afghanistan.

It was not clear how the bomber was able to enter the mosque but over 350 worshippers were praying at the time of bombing.

Deadliest terrorism-related incident

After the attack, there are several eyebrows as to how the bomber reached inside the mosque in the Police Lines area of Peshawar, which is a highly-tightened security area. The attack also turned out to be one of the deadliest terrorism-related incidents in the country’s history where the death toll has crossed triple digits. Real figure is still to come out.

In a statement, PM Shehbaz questioned the use of funds provided to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government by the federal government to develop its counter-terrorism capabilities over the last 10 years.

The premier said that the government has been giving funds to KP under the NFC awards since 2010 which totals to an amount of 417 billion Pakistani currency, according to TheNews.

The Pakistan premier asked where the “big amount” was used, saying that the PTI has governed the province for 10 years.

“It is said that we did not get money but they got 40 billion (Pakistani currency) annually. This money was supposed to be used for the improvement of police and security forces, but God knows it went,” Shehbaz lamented.

He also said that KP has been left at the mercy of terrorists in the last 10 years and lamented over weak performances of the security officials, saying no other province received so much money compared to KP.

The scourge of terrorism is rising again, he said, adding “The question is: who brought these terrorists back? How was the peace of Pakistan disturbed again? Who said that they are friends of Pakistan? Who said that these people have surrendered their arms and will participate in the development of the country?”

Eradicating terrorism

Shehbaz expressed worry over terrorist activities and said that terrorism will spread in Pakistan if appropriate measures are not taken immediately.

He called for eradication of terrorism through collective efforts, and recalled that defeat was inflicted on the terrorist elements through Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-e-Azb operations.

Men comfort a girl who lost her father in Monday’s bombing; People light candles to pay tribute to the victims of the Peshawar Police Line mosque suicide blast, on Wednesday. AP / Reuters / AFP

Those operations had played a key role in restoration of peace in the country. “Many people from different walks of life have rendered their lives in the war against terrorism, but still the terrorist element is a matter of concern,” he added.

Honoring the sacrifices of the people of KP in the war on terrorism, the primer said that KP has remained the front line province in the war on terror.

Major arrest made in Pakistan

Pakistan security forces arrested a large number of people in connection with the mosque bombing, said Peshawar Police Chief.

Speaking to Reuters, Chief Ijaz Khan said that officers are investigating how the suicide bomber gained access to such a highly-secured police area, and could not rule out the possibility of inside help in carrying out the attack.

The death toll has hit 101 as of Wednesday as rescue and relief operations are still underway, according to local media.

On Tuesday, a number of countries strongly reacted and condemned the bombing and Malaysia on Wednesday condemned the suicide bomb attack.

The country’s Foreign Ministry Wisma Putra in a statement expressed Malaysia’s deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims, the people and the government of Pakistan.

“We stand in solidarity with our Pakistani brothers and sisters in the fight against the scourge of terrorism and we call for the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be brought to justice,” the statement read.

Taliban FM says Pakistan should not blame others

Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday called on Pakistan not to put blame on Afghanistan for the mosque bombing in Peshawar.

In a news conference, Muttaqi said that there is no terrorist base in Afghanistan and the country’s soil will never be used against other countries.

“We ask Pakistan’s ministers to not throw the snow of their own roofs onto the roofs of others,” he said, calling on the Pakistani authorities to thoroughly launch an investigation into mosque bombing.

There are some comments that Afghanistan is the center of terrorism, Muttaqi said, but added that terrorism has no borders. “If terrorism existed in Afghanistan, it may then spread to China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. But these countries are safe as well as Afghanistan. It means terrorists don’t exist in Afghanistan,” he added.

Muttaqi’s comment after Pakistan interior minister Rana Sanaullah in his briefing in the country’s parliament said that the terrorists are in Pakistan’s neighboring countries. However, he did not mention the name of Afghanistan.

The blast, which ripped through a mosque inside a major police facility in the city of Peshawar, was one of the deadliest attacks in recent years. At least 225 worshipers also received injuries in the bombing and some of them are still in serious condition, according to Kashif Aftab Abbasi, a senior officer in Peshawar.