Sir: The suicide attacks at the end of Sunday services in a church in Peshawar by death merchants has sent shockwaves down the spines of every sensible person. The ruthless killing of over 81 people shows that the annihilators do not belong to any religion, caste or creed. These mental midgets are the demons of destruction. Every now and then, the countless killings of innocent men, women and children depict how weak the writ of the government is. Alas! The optimism of being able to control terrorism is fading. One can understand that there are many stakeholders involved in terrorism in Pakistan. From Karachi to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Wana to Quetta, terrorism has ripped apart the common people. Loss of life on such a gross scale, inefficiency of the law enforcement agencies and helplessness of the government on how to tackle the issue has further weakened the state’s writ. There are more than nine intelligence agencies in the country to monitor suspicious people and their activities but their performance is totally unsatisfactory. Sometimes, these agencies play shenanigans — they prolong the war on terror for their own interests. Some people are of the view that bringing the Taliban to the negotiation table will help curb terrorism; such people are simpletons par excellence. A lot of money (foreign exchange), power and abundance of arms are the ultimate demands of tribal people, which are being fulfilled by foreign elements viciously eying our natural resources. One thing is crystal clear: you cannot subdue your enemy with polite requests. When a wound in the body rots and threatens to become cancerous, the wise doctor opts for surgery and removes the ailing organ from the body for good to save the rest of the body from death. The time has come to launch a full-fledged crackdown on the terrorists. Terrorists must not be let off in the name of tolerance. They do not deserve any relaxation and must be dealt with with an iron hand. Alternatively, we will continue to be victimised by terrorists at their will with no place to run. Showing any soft corner for these people is equal to being a party to the terrorists. The print and electronic media should discharge its duty by motivating people and shaping public opinion against the terrorists. Another alarming and dangerous indicator is the silence of religious factions that were once breeding houses of these Taliban. They are considered the masters of the Taliban. Should they not swerve away from the Taliban to keep their record unblemished? IFTIKHAR MIRZA Islamabad