War against Taliban has to be won at all cost: Zardari

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday pledged to continue his government’s fight against militancy till the end.

This was Zardari’s respond to the spate of deadly terrorist attacks which killed dozens of Pakistani across the country.

Addressing the nation a little after 0100 hrs IST on national television, Zardari said, “We will continue this fight till the end. This fight is backed by the parliament, the political parties and the people of Pakistan.”

Noting that recent suicide attacks by terrorists, including Tuesday's bombing of the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar, had killed members of the armed forces and civilians, he said: “We must win this war at all costs. We will win with the help of the people.

“There will be a new morning and we will all see this morning. It will be the victory of the people,” he said, adding that the “whole country has risen up against the terrorists”.

Pakistan is fighting “those who want to impose their agenda forcefully on the nation,” Zardari said.

He pointed out that the militants had targeted his slain wife Benazir Bhutto shortly after her return to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in October 2007 and assassinated her two months later after “she challenged them and vowed to take them on”.