Yousaf Raza Gilani said "the govt cannot be forced to abandon our operations against anti-state and anti-social elements."
Pakistan government's resolve to eliminate terrorists will not be deterred by major attacks across the country, including the suicide bombing at a police officer's home and the killing of Shias in Balochistan, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said today.
"Let me reiterate that such cowardly acts will not deter our resolve to eliminate the terrorists whose leadership has either been killed or arrested," Gilani told a meeting of his Cabinet that discussed the security situation and devastating floods in Sindh province.
He said his government's writ "will be established in Karachi and other parts of the country" and that it "cannot be forced to abandon our operations against anti-state and anti-social elements."
He condemned the "assassination" of Shia pilgrims at Mastung in Balochistan yesterday and Monday's suicide attack on the residence of a senior police officer in a residential area of Karachi that "resulted in the death of innocent people, including women and children."
The banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the massacre of 26 Shias at Mastung. The pilgrims were taken off a bus and lined up before being shot.
The Pakistani Taliban has said it was behind the suicide car bombing of the police officer's home that killed eight persons.
In his address, Gilani also condemned the assassination of Afghan High Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by a Taliban bomber at his home in Kabul yesterday.
Gilani described Rabbani as a "friend of Pakistan."
Referring to the floods in Sindh province, he said Pakistan was facing another humanitarian crisis due to the deluge.
"Realising the gravity of the situation, I called off my planned visit to the US where I was to address the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly. This visit has been cancelled because I could not see my countrymen in misery and in a vulnerable position at home," Gilani said.
He said the floods had reportedly affected 7.3 million people and there was an urgent need for food, shelter and medicines.
"We have to employ all our energies and resources for relief and rehabilitation of the people and the government, on its part, will leave no stone unturned in bringing back normalcy to their lives," he said.
Officials said the floods have claimed over 300 lives and caused severe damage to infrastructure and crops, including onions and cotton.
A damage assessment has been done by the UN and the National Disaster Management Authority and an international appeal has been launched for 356 million dollars for a rapid response plan.
Referring to a dengue outbreak in Punjab province, Gilani said the federal government had instructed the state-run Pakistan International Airlines to facilitate the transportation of personnel, equipment and insecticide to control the virus.
Gilani also referred to his recent visit to Iran and said he had exchanged views with President Mehmood Ahmadinejad on "further augmenting our existing bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields ranging from trade and economy to internal security and intelligence-sharing."
The two countries had agreed to expand the volume of bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars, for which the transportation and communication network has to be improved, he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}