Pakistanis hold mass rally in support of army: Press TV
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Posted on: 2/24/2014
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Source: Press TV
Over a hundred thousand supporters of a strong political party have demonstrated in the Pakistani city of Karachi to show their support for the country's armed forces in their fight against extremism.
On Sunday, supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) took to the streets of the southern city to demand an end to rampant militant violence in the country.
Waving Pakistani and MQM party flags and chanting pro-army slogans, the demonstrators urged the government to launch an all-out operation against pro-Taliban groups, their direct and indirect supporters.
"We want to let the world know. We want to let the government of Pakistan know and we want to let the people of Pakistan know that we think enough is enough with the dialogue, with Taliban and with Taliban itself, because we have lost more than 50,000 innocent people already. And we have lost 7,000 soldiers to generals of Pakistan,” said Haider Abbas Rizvi, a senior MQM official.
“We want the army of Pakistan to get out of the barracks and …. take on the Taliban because we have suffered enough and we have lost enough and this is the time that people of Pakistan should gather in the name of solidarity with the armed forces of Pakistan, the police and rangers as well. And we want to take them on with Taliban," he added.
MQM says several of its political figures and activists have been targeted by the pro-Taliban groups in recent months.
Meanwhile, Pakistani fighter jets bombed militant positions in the country’s rugged northwestern tribal regions close to the border with Afghanistan, killing at least 38 militants and injuring several others.
It was the third attack by the Pakistani Air Force since February 20. Nearly 40 militants have been killed in the two previous air raids.
Pakistani military sources said several factories used to make improvised explosive devices (IED) and weapons were also destroyed in the strikes.
The strikes were conducted in retaliation for attacks by militants that have derailed peace talks.
Islamabad recently started peace talks with the Taliban, but negotiations were suspended after the killing of 23 soldiers by a faction of the militant group and a militant-claimed bombing in Karachi that killed 13 police officers.
The militants are highly active in Pakistan’s tribal regions. They want to overthrow the state institutions and impose Wahhabi laws across the country.
Pakistan has been gripped by deadly violence since 2001, after Islamabad joined the so-called US war on terror. According to Pakistani authorities, nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict.
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12/3/2024 9:22:54 AM
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