All terrorists in Pakistan are locals, says Malik
* Interior minister says country does not have capability to strike down drones
LAHORE : The US security contractor, Blackwater, is not operating in Pakistan and all the terrorists in the country are locals, a private TV channel quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, Malik ruled out the presence of any harmful US elements, saying that Blackwater was not present in the country. Malik said security forces had apprehended at least 74 high-profile terrorists, adding that ulema from every school of thought supported the governments policies in the war against terrorism.
To a question,
he said he had been detained at the New York International Airport for six hours just because of his name.
Malik maintained the government would not compromise on the security, solidarity and integrity of the country, APP reported.
The government will effectively respond if it is discovered that India was involved in terrorist attacks in the country, he said, adding the government had categorically warned Delhi to stop interfering in Balochistan. He said the international community, including the US and the UN, had been informed about Indian interference in Pakistan.
A report has been sent to the Foreign Ministry on Indian involvement in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, he said.
We will not allow terrorists to use our soil, Malik added.
He said security forces had captured four trucks carrying Indian-made weapons in Waziristan and other tribal areas.
Criticising India for not sharing intelligence to counter terrorism, he said, If India had shared intelligence, the Mumbai attack could have been avoided.
Capability: To a question about US drone strikes, the minister said,
Pakistan does not have the capability of striking down the drones. If we had it (capability), we would have surely taken action against these attacks.
The US government should realise that Pakistan is against drones attacks, he added. Appreciating the countrys law enforcement agencies, he said security personnel had averted a number of terrorist activities and apprehended terrorists by sacrificing their lives.
daily times monitor/app