Bill proposes 5-yr jail term for defamation of army, judiciary

Peshawar: Amidst a wave of terror attacks in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday acknowledged the failure to avert the Peshawar carnage that killed over 100 people and called for “national unity” to tackle the menace.

Addressing an apex committee meeting at the Governor House here on the mosque attack and the overall emerging terrorism situation in Pakistan, Sharif also expressed frustration at the criticism levelled against the federal government from opposition parties in the wake of a series of terror attacks. “There is a need for unity across the political spectrum. This act of terrorism managed to breach the security check post and reach the mosque. We should not feel hesitant in admitting the facts,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

In the Peshawar mosque attack on Monday, a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during the afternoon prayers, killing 101 people and injuring more than 200 others.

The police on Thursday said that the bomber disguised himself in a police uniform to sneak into the high-security zone and was riding a motorcycle with a helmet and mask on. Pakistan has been hit by a wave of terrorism, mostly in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, but also in Balochistan and the Punjab town of Mianwali.