Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said yesterday that the
Prime Minister House was the target of Saturday's truck suicide bomb attack,
which killed 53 people.
Speaking to reporters at the Lahore Airport in eastern Pakistan, Gilani said
that the terrorists wanted to hit the Prime Minister House as important
personalities including the president and the army chief were present to attend
the dinner after a joint session of the parliament.
"They could not do it due to tight security arrangements," he said.
Gilani said that it was a big tragedy and he fully condemned such attempts
which are aimed at destabilizing democracy, damaging economy and weakening
Pakistan.
When asked as to who are behind the attack, he said, "I can not jump to the
conclusion till completion of the enquiry, our main focus is on maintaining law
and order and to fight terrorism and extremism."
Terrorists are doing such acts to highlight presence of nuclear weapons of
Pakistan, he said, adding that there is an effective command and control system
of nuclear arms in Pakistan and terrorist can never come close to these weapons.
Referring to foreign investigators, he said that the matter would be looked
into in case of need.
Gilani said that tribal people in Pakistan are patriotic and none of them is
terrorist, adding that only a few foreigners are involved in the terrorist acts
in Pakistan.
He also rejected the impression that Pakistan is fighting a war of the US,
adding that 99 percent killings of such incidents are of Pakistanis, and said
that Pakistan is working on its indigenous policy.