PM Shehbaz vows to defeat terrorism through unified national effort

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism through a unified national effort, stressing that peace, stability and prosperity remained the country’s core objectives.

Chairing a meeting of the Qaumi Paigham-e-Aman Committee, the prime minister said the committee would play a key role in strengthening the national narrative against extremism and terrorism, recalling the historic role of religious scholars in the creation of Pakistan.

He described terrorism as the most serious challenge facing the country and said the task of defeating it was difficult but not impossible, emphasising the need for collective resolve.

The prime minister highlighted that more than 100,000 Pakistanis had laid down their lives in the war against terrorism and urged the international community to recognise the country’s immense sacrifices.

His remarks come amid a surge in terror incidents since the Afghan Taliban took over Kabul in 2021. According to figures shared by Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations across the country in 2025, killing 2,597 terrorists.

The prime minister said Pakistan possessed concrete evidence of external support to terrorist elements and expressed confidence that the country would once again defeat terrorism.

Speaking on the occasion, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said efforts to discourage terrorism and promote peace and stability would be further strengthened through a strong national narrative.

He said members of the Qaumi Paigham-e-Aman Committee would visit different parts of the country to convey a message of peace and counter hate-based narratives, adding that a two-day conference of religious scholars from all schools of thought would be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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Pakistan Ulema Council chairman and committee coordinator Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said members would visit terrorism-affected areas, interact with local communities, religious scholars and the armed forces, and serve as ambassadors of peace.

Participants of the meeting, including ulema from various schools of thought and representatives of minority communities, expressed full support for the initiative and unanimously declared terrorists and Fitna-al-Khawarij as enemies of the state, stressing the need to counter anti-state narratives and positively engage the youth.