Pakistan's
Ambassador to the UN Dr. Maleeha Lodhi told the world body that Pakistan
today faced a terrorist threat “primarily supported and financed from outside
its borders”. But she said that Pakistan “will be able to defeat
these forces too”, says a press release received here today from New York.
She was speaking in the UN
General Assembly’s debate on ‘Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism’
which took place in its Sixth Committee.
Highlighting
Pakistan’s successful fight against terrorism, Ambassador Lodhi said that
the country has turn the tide against terrorism as a result of its
comprehensive efforts over the past several years, supported by a firm domestic
political consensus.
Ambassador Lodhi
told the UN that Pakistan has conducted the largest anti-terrorism operation
anywhere in the world. “We have launched an across-the-board military
campaign to destroy terrorist infrastructures and bases in the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border region and our tribal areas”.
“We also embarked
on a law enforcement operation targeting those elements in our urban areas that
had fled our military operations in the tribal areas”, she added.
The success of
Pakistan’s two-pronged approach, she said, has resulted in the sharp reduction
of terrorist activities across Pakistan over the past two years. According to
the Global Terrorism Index, terrorism in Pakistan is now at its lowest point
since 2006.
“We have lost
over 27,000 of our citizens and law enforcement personnel to this scourge and
have also suffered economic losses of over US$120 billion”, she added.
