'Will continue our war against terrorism until...': Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif after Islamabad suicide blast

In the wake of the Islamabad suicide blast on Tuesday (Nov 11), Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that targeting innocent citizens through cross-border terrorism was an abhorrent and cowardly act. Sharif and his ministers have been among the first ones to blame their neighbours. As the blame game continues, terror outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the suicide blast. The country, which has been creating a haven for terror groups and is home to internationally proscribed terrorists, has always been on the front foot to fight terrorism, or so it claims. And now, reports have surfaced where involvement of TTP in the blast remains unclear.

Sharif was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan, “These attacks are a continuation of India’s state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilising Pakistan." Comments like these after letting terror groups foster on its soil is the usual tone taken by the country's leadership. On April 22, in a dastardly attack in India's Pahalgam that claimed 26 innocent lives, Pakistan didn't acknowledge or take action against The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). After a fortnight of inaction, India was compelled to launch Operation Sindoor and conduct precision strikes in Pakistan and PoK. During the initial Operation Sindoor briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "It was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the 22 April attack be brought to justice. Despite a fortnight having passed since the attacks, there has been no demonstrable step from Pakistan to take action against the terror infrastructure on its territory or territory under its control."

It was during this operation that New Delhi destroyed terrorist hubs. While Islamabad said the strikes killed innocent citizens, commanders of terror outfits came out months later to mention the extent of destruction. One such claim was made by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander Masood Ilyas, who was seen addressing a crowd and saying that Masood Azhar's family was ‘torn into pieces’ in Bahawalpur.

Point to be noted, Masood Azhar is a proscribed terrorist and the founder of JeM. On May 1, 2019, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated him as a global terrorist. “We will continue our war against terrorism until the last terrorist…," Sharif added. While Pakistani leadership continues its mission to fight terrorism, the need of the hour is cleaning its own corridor.