Pakistan calls Peshawar attack its '9/11', executes 28 terrorists after lifting moratorium on death penalty

Islamabad: Pakistani prime minister's advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Saturday said that Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi, the accused mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, has not been released and that India should also show progress over the trial into the Samjhauta Express blast.

The Samjhauta Express blast that took place in the Delhi-Lahore train in 2007 had left nearly 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.

According to a report in Dawn, Aziz stated that the massacre by the Tehreek-e-Taliban in a Peshawar school was "Pakistan's 9/11". He also added that the Afghan leadership in Kabul assured the Pakistan army full cooperation in countering terrorism.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to carry out coordinated actions against terrorists in their respective areas," Xinhua quoted Aziz as telling reporters in Islamabad.

Aziz said that standard operating procedures for better border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been finalised and would be presented for approval before a joint military group meeting expected to take place shortly.

Meanwhile, Pakistan forces have killed 28 terrorists in the restive north-western tribal region, intensifying the campaign against them after the Peshawar school massacre that left 148 people dead, mostly students.

A security official on Saturday said that jet fighters targeted militants in Tirah valley of Khyber, which killed 21 militants and destroyed their seven hideouts.

Private TV channels reported that Peshawar attack "mastermind" Umer Naray was also killed in the attack but it was not confirmed.

Separately, the security forces killed five terrorists in Darra Adam Khel near Peshawar in a targeted operation. Also, the police and paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) attacked a Taliban facilitator Sayyar Khan in Machini area near Peshawar, leading to a gun battle with the militants.

Senior police officer Ijaz Ahmad told media that Khan and another militant were killed while a policemen and an FC soldier embraced martyrdom in the fight.

So far 152 militants have been killed in counter-terror operation since the Peshawar attack on Tuesday. Army chief General Raheel Sharif last evening visited Khyber and met the troops on the front lines.