Terror wave aimed at pressuring new setup, says Cheema
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Interior Ministry Spokesman Brig ® Javed Iqbal Cheema Tuesday said that suicide and terrorists attacks after general elections are aimed at exerting pressure on the coming government. “It is unfortunate that there have been three suicide attacks during the last one week in NWFP only. Suicide attack at Pakistan Naval War College Lahore and other terrorist and suicide attacks are aimed at exerting pressure on the coming government,” he told a weekly media briefing.
He said according to initial investigation the attack in the transport section of Pakistan Naval College building in Lahore was a suicide attack which caused five causalities including the suicide bombers. The subsequent explosions were not suicide attacks while that were result of explosion in a petrol tank and gas cylinder of other vehicles, Cheema said.
He said the suicide bomber was riding a Suzuki car and smashed his vehicle into the Coaster of Naval War College when the driver was parking it.
Cheema said no officer of the college was injured or killed in the blast. He said following the peaceful, fair and free conduct of general election last month, the anti state, anti religion elements have not abandoned their heinous agenda and were carrying out suicide attacks causing loss of innocent lives. Cheema said there would be no let up in the campaign to root out extremism and terrorism from the country which poses the gravest threat to national security.
He said security set up is fully geared up to meet any threat, “ we would appeal to all citizens to continue whole-hearted cooperation with the government to defeat terrorism and to ensure smooth and orderly transfer of power to the elected representatives and keep the country moving forward on the path of progress and bright future. To a question about detention of deposed judges and their families, Cheema said Interior Ministry has directed Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to facilitate their children for schooling.
He said as far as meeting of any one with them is concerned ICT has forbidden it from law and order point of view. Cheema added that United States Bureau in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Affairs in its recently released annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report commended Pakistan in its efforts to move towards a Poppy free country status.
Quoting the report, he said in 2007, roughly 2,315 hectares of poppy were cultivated, out of which over 600 hectares were eradicated. The report said, “it is indeed impressive under the circumstances,in bringing harvested poppy down 1,701 hectares compared to approximately 1,908 hectares in 2006. The past year has seen major counter narcotics interdictions by the Anti Narcotics Force, it said. Frontier Corps Balochistan and Pakistan Coast Guards, Customs and Excise, the Maritime Security Agency and the Home Departments of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan Province also are active in disrupting traffickers. The Law Enforcement Agencies seized 11 Metric Tonn (MT) of heroin and 15 MT of opium in 2007. “The government is committed to regaining the poppy-free status it reached in 2001,” Cheema said.
He said the findings of the report are significant particularly when Opium production in neighboring Afghanistan is at an all-time high, particularly near the Pakistan border. Referring to an article in a newspaper about missing of a Qari the Spokesman said that there is no mystery around the arrest of Qari Saifullah Akhtar. He was arrested by police and is currently on physical remand till March 7. The government does not want to give undue publicity to a particular arrest because of the fear of compromise of investigations and further arrests.