Pakistani soil not to be used for terror activities: Zardari

Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Mar 22 (PTI) Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari Tuesday pledged to "fight militants to the finish" and
not allow the use of Pakistani soil for terrorist activities
against any other country, even as he warned that the fight
could be "long and bitter".
"We will fight the militants to the finish. We will
not back down. We will ensure a modern and moderate Pakistan,
the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah," he said in
his address to a joint sitting of the two Houses of
parliament.
Pakistan "cannot permit the use of our soil for
terrorist activities against any other country", he said.
"The fight against militancy may be long and bitter.
But we have no other option except to win. Win we will, and
soon Insha’Allah,” he added.
Zardari, who created history by becoming the first
civilian President to address a joint session of parliament
for the fourth consecutive year, said the ruling Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) will avenge the recent assassination of
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and federal minister Shahbaz
Bhatti by defeating the mindset that resulted in their
killing.
"We condemn the murders of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz
Bhatti. We will avenge the martyrdom of heroes of democracy by
defeating the mindset that preaches violence and hatred," he
said as lawmakers in the treasury benches thumped their desks
and shouted slogans like "Jiye Bhutto".
“We must be true to our principles and we must be
strong. Being strong means denouncing what is wrong. And
violence, hatred, extremism and intolerance are wrong,” he
said.
Zardari said the individuals responsible for the 2007
assassination of his wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto,
“will certainly not escape punishment” though her family and
the PPP do not believe in revenge.
They want to defeat "the mindset that was behind her
assassination" because Bhutto believed "democracy is the best
revenge", he added.
Both Taseer and Bhatti, senior leaders of the PPP,
were assassinated this year for challenging Pakistan’s
controversial blasphemy law.
Taseer was gunned down by a police guard while the
banned Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for killing
Bhatti, the only Christian member of the cabinet.
The opposition had earlier threatened to disrupt
Zardari’s speech to protest the government’s perceived failure
to tackle corruption and to resolve the people’s problems.