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DATE= JANUARY 14, 1999 TYPE= EDITORIAL NUMBER= 0-08145 TITLE= EDITORIAL: TERRORISM IN PAKISTAN CONTENT=THIS IS THE THIRD OF THREE EDITORIALS BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST JANUARY 14, 1999. ANNCR: THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. VOICE: TWO SEPARATE TERRORIST ACTS CLAIMED MORE THAN A SCORE OF LIVES THIS MONTH IN PAKISTAN. ON JANUARY 4TH, SEVENTEEN SHIA WORSHIPERS WERE SHOT TO DEATH AT A MOSQUE IN THE SMALL TOWN OF KARAM-DAD QUERESHI IN PUNJAB PROVINCE. THE DEAD INCLUDED THREE CHILDREN. MANY OTHER PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED. THE TERRORISTS ARE THOUGHT TO BE MEMBERS OF AN EXTREMIST SUNNI MUSLIM GROUP. HUNDREDS OF PAKISTANIS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SECTARIAN ATTACKS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. VICTIMS INCLUDE BOTH SHIA AND SUNNI MUSLIMS, AS WELL AS CHRISTIANS, HINDUS AND AHMADIS. ON JANUARY 3RD, ALSO IN PUNJAB PROVINCE, AN APPARENT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS MADE AGAINST PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF. NEAR LAHORE, A BOMB EXPLODED ON A BRIDGE THAT MR. SHARIF WAS EXPECTED TO CROSS. BUT HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE STILL AT HOME BECAUSE OF A DELAY. FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND SEVERAL OTHERS WERE WOUNDED. THE UNITED STATES CONDEMNS THESE ACTS OF TERRORISM. AS IN A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES, TERRORISM IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN PAKISTAN. TERRORISM WAS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH WHEN PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND PRIME MINISTER SHARIF MET LAST MONTH AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THE U.S. AND PAKISTAN ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING TOGETHER TO FIGHT THIS MENACE. AS PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID AT LAST FALL'S SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ALL COUNTRIES MUST PUT THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AT THE TOP OF THEIR AGENDA. WHEN IT COMES TO TERRORISM, THERE SHOULD BE NO DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN RELIGIONS OR SOCIETIES. "THE ONLY DIVIDING LINE," SAID PRESIDENT CLINTON, "IS BETWEEN THOSE WHO PRACTICE, SUPPORT OR TOLERATE TERROR, AND THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS MURDER, PLAIN AND SIMPLE." ANNCR: THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR FAX US AT (202) 619-1043. 13-Jan-99 3:13 PM EST (2013 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .