National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) on Wednesday regretted the US blame game on alleged support to Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Haqqani Network, saying it hurts when Pakistan's sacrifices and contribution to eliminate menace of terrorism are underrated.
Speaking at a three-day conference 'International Counter Terrorism Forum (IICTF-2018),' organized by National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the top security czar lauded Nacta's initiative of highlighting Pakistan's efforts in counter-extremism and counterterrorism to the world through first of its kind IICTF-2108 platform.
Janjua made it crystal clear that elimination of terrorism is a shared responsibility and the war cannot be fought without the support of international community as it needs a global response.
"We paid a heavy price in this war [against terrorism]. We lost our children, senior leadership and thousands of innocent people in war against terrorism but our resilient is intact," he added.
He said Pakistan remained at front line state against terrorism and its people and personnel of security forces rendered matchless sacrifices in this war, adding the US and its allied forces abandoned Afghanistan after the collapse of former Soviet Union (USSR) resulting creation of vacuum.
"As a result of this the vacuum, radical groups came into existence and they filled the vacuum," he added.
In wake of Army Public School massacre in Peshawar back in 2014, he said, Pakistani leadership formulated National Action Plan (NAP) to tackle the menace of terrorism.
He said that various operations including Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fasad were launched to get required results and now the whole Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Karachi have fully been cleared of terrorists.
Afrasiab Khattak, a former senator, said that Pakistani people and personnel of armed forces made supreme sacrifices and defeated the terrorists. He said it was a common struggle for all Pakistani. He said in 1980, the West had clear agenda to defeat communism and they radicalized the society.
He said Pakistan had showed strength and perseverance of its people through political leadership who stood united in dealing with menace of terrorism. He said it is high time to look forward for cooperation between big and small powers. He said the Chinese are very serious for peace and their good will should be used.
He said political leadership supported NACTA in all its endeavors to make Pakistan a country free from extremism and violence.
Earlier, one minute silence was observed for victims of terrorism. A documentary, depicting efforts of people, the government and security agencies of the country against terrorism, was also shown on the occasion.