PRESS RELEASE
The recent attacks and the hypocritical reaction of the government has reinforced terrorists’ strength, says Farooq Tariq
October 25, 2016
LAHORE: The Awami Workers Party (AWP) expresses deep sorrow and grief over the loss of the lives of young cadets in a terrorist attack on a police training centre at Quetta. According to reports 59 young police cadets have been killed and over 120 injured in gun and twin suicide attacks on the Police Training College by three terrorists reportedly belonging to the banned sectarian extremist group Al-Alimi faction of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an affiliate of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) late Monday night.
In a statement, the AWP spokesperson Farooq Tariq expressed sympathies and solidarity with the families of those who lost their loved ones, and those injured in the attack. He demanded that victims and their families must be provided adequate state support in every aspect.
“We condemn all fascist and religious extremist forces – within and outside the state – the monster that the state has fed and fattened for decades at the cost of people’s basic rights including security,” he said.
He noted that state support and inaction against these death squads is at the root of tragedies striking Balochistan again and again.
He condemned the recent meeting between religious extremist outfits/parties and Interior Minister Choudhry Nisar Ali Khan for withdrawal of restrictions on them under the Fourth Schedule. He said that this is tantamount to state support to most wanted terrorists!!
“AWP understands that the state and government patronage of religious extremist outfits and religio-political parties is at the root of their increasing violence and influence in social and state affairs. The recent attacks in Quetta and the hypocritical reaction of the government has reinforced their strength.”
We believe that until and unless the state and the government do not completely abandon these forces, they will continue to keep hostage the democratic system and the society.
The spokesperson said that the state’s selective action against terrorists under National Action Plan (NAP) is evident from the fact that it is not implementable. He said that NAP is still not sufficient and effective policy instrument to deal with the long-standing issue of terrorism and religious extremism.
He demanded political and foreign policy interventions to deal with this Frankenstein “strategic asset”.
He called upon all progressive political forces and sections of society to get united for exposing and defeating all forms of fascism, state oppression and military excess, violence by religious extremists.