Time to move ahead

There is no denying the fact that the Parliament's hammering out a consensus on terrorism at a time when the country is passing through the worst crisis of its history was an achievement.

Coming as it does after a marked clash of views by different parties in the two-week in-camera session of both houses of parliament, the resolution saw the government concede more than the opposition to get an endorsement of its policies. After all, the country is facing grave challenges that call for nationwide support.

Exacerbating the threats the dual scourge of extremism and terrorism poses to national security is the economic meltdown that had brought the country to the verge of debt default. There was no solution in sight. The government had to eventually turn to the IMF to cope with what a British newspaper describes as "a balance of payment crisis caused by a flight of capital."

There is no doubt that the 14-point resolution unanimously passed by the Parliament does not give more than an ambiguous call for the review of the national security strategy and for the civilian armed forces to replace the military deployed in the restive region to combat militancy. The resolution seems more tilted against the use of our territory for acts of terrorism across the border than dealing with the stepped-up attacks in tribal areas by US Predators flown from Afghanistan.