Iqbal urges world for concerted efforts against terrorism

WASHINGTON: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal Tuesday said that the entire world needs to make joint efforts to defeat the menace of terrorism.

Addressing a seminar on international geopolitical threats here, Iqbal said all other options, other than the one based on cooperation, lead to chaos.

Terrorist groups have evolved into international networks and security threats have no longer been regional, he said, rather they have become a challenge for the entire world.

The interior minister maintained that terrorism can only be dealt with through international unity and cooperation.

He noted that Pakistan lost 60,000 lives in the fight against terrorism, besides financial losses worth Rs120 billion dollars.

"Pakistani forces conducted 4 million search raids, over 2.1 million combing operations and over 16,000 intelligence-based operations across the country," Iqbal elaborated.

Pakistan promoted national unity and broke the backbone of terrorism over the last 4 years, he said, adding that the success against militants was achieved through coordination among all institutions and forces.

The minister observed that the United States could only succeed through a policy based on unity and cooperation, while tension in relations between the two nations would benefit terrorists.

He went on to say that peace and stability can be strengthened through economic development. "It is the responsibility of the US and European states to back Pakistan in its efforts for peace."

Iqbal noted that around 45-70 per cent of Afghan territory is under the control of extremist elements, while regrouping of Daesh (Islamic State) militants in Afghanistan is a threat to the entire region.

He lamented that smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan has risen to its peak, while Pakistan is paying the price for war against Soviet Union to this date.