Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday responded to a spate of deadly terrorist attacks that have killed dozens across Pakistan by pledging to continue his government's fight against militancy till the end.
Addressing the nation a little after 1 am on national television, Zardari said, "We will continue this fight till the end. This fight is backed by parliament, 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," he 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".