Terrorist attacks in Quetta, Lahore: PML-N lawmakers blame centre for security lapses

PML-N Senators on Friday protested against holding the Punjab government responsible for the killing of nine police trainees from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Lahore, saying that the training institute was under the administrative control of the Centre.
Speaking in Senate, PML-N lawmakers said that the Central Jail Staff Training Institute, Lahore was an attached department of the interior ministry. Hence, they said, it was the responsibility of central government to provide adequate security to the trainees.
They claimed that despite repeated requests to the federal interior ministry, no security was provided to the cadets, which resulted in the loss of lives at the hands of terrorists. However, senators of the PPP and ANP termed the PML-N lawmakers' blaming the federal government was unjustified and insisted that the provincial government was responsible for the security of the police officers.
Senators of the ANP staged a walk-out from the upper house of parliament for the second consecutive day. They were also joined by lawmakers of MQM and PML-N, who protested against the killing of KP prison officials and a terrorist attack at a public party in Quetta, which claimed six lives.
Leader of Opposition in Senate Ishaq Dar condemned the incidents and criticised the federal government and said that it was useless to blame other parties, instead of taking action against criminals behind these incidents.
Quoting the principal of the institute, Dar said that despite several letters, the federal interior ministry did not pay any heed to its request to provide security.
He said that a joint investigation team had been formed to probe into the incident. He also demanded of the government to seek a detailed report from the adviser to prime minister on interior.
Senator Daud Khan Achakzai of the ANP said that six ANP workers had been killed during an attack on its rally in Quetta on Friday and demanded of the chair to press the Balochistan Home Department to submit reports within two days.
Senator Zahid Khan of ANP lambasted the government for not providing sufficient security to the ANP rally despite threats from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He was of the view that all focus of security officials was on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharaf, who was visiting the restive Balochistan province.
He demanded of the government to quickly submit a report over terrorist attacks in Quetta and Lahore.
Meanwhile, Senator Hidayatullah Khan from Fata protested over incidents of cross-border terrorism in the Bajaur Agency. He claimed that 40 to 50 people had been killed in the incident and walked out of the House in protest against government's low response on the incident.
Col Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (retd) also condemned the attack on ANP rally and the cross-border terrorism in Bajaur Agency while Hafiz Hamdalluah of the JUI-F said that is this intentionally being done to pave the way for a military operation in Balochistan.
Mushahid Hussain Syed of the PML-Q called for an effective counter-terrorism strategy to cope with such a situation and condemned incidents in Bajaur and Quetta.
Responding to the queries, state minister for interior Safdar Warriach said that every act of terrorism was condemnable, adding that law and order "is a provincial subject while federal only shares intelligence".
However, he assured the house that reports on both incidents would be presented in the house within two days.
The house also passed a unanimous resolution, moved by Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, urging the federal government to take necessary steps to install two water plants in the drought-hit area of Gwadar besides initiating water supply schemes for provision of clean drinking water to local residents. Later, the house was prorogued for an indefinite period.