ISLAMABAD, Aug 21: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani asked a tense National Assembly on Thursday to guide him on combating terrorism after a key government functionary vowed a fight-back against the so-called Pakistani Taliban militants threatening to step up violence.

Only a few hours after more than 60 people were killed in two suicide bomb attacks at Wah ordinance factories west of Islamabad, members from both sides of the house voiced their anguish over the stepped up violence in which a similar bombing at a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan two days ago killed 32 people.

The prime minister and his Interior Adviser Rehman Malik assured the house in-camera army briefings about the new situation to be followed by a detailed debate to help formulate lines of action whether it is about defence of foreign policy.

“Whatever policy you make we will act upon it,” Mr Gilani said, also promising that leader of opposition Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who was not present in the house at the time, would be associated in future briefings for coalition partners.

But the usually tough-talking adviser Malik was more vehement as he spoke of what he called targeted attacks being launched by security forces in the Bajaur tribal area so as to avoid collateral damage, reporting to the house that 561 militants had been killed there in recent days.

“Either we hand over Pakistan to the Taliban or fight back,” he said about the choices before the government and added: “We will fight back.”

Prime Minister Gilani told the house that while following a three-pronged policy --- dialogue with those who give up arms, development of the tribal areas and fighting only those who still challenge the writ of the government --- the state could not shirk its primary duty to protect the life and property of the people. “If we can’t do that then we can’t sit in this house.”

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam is a partner in the coalition government, called for a review of Pakistan’s role in the US-led “war against terrorism” as well as the related foreign and domestic policies after a comprehensive parliamentary debate.

Opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s chief whip Riaz Hussain Pirzada called for taking opposition on board as he assured his party’s cooperation to the prime minister in tackling militancy, while regretting a perceived lack of focus on the sectarian nature of violence in the Kurram tribal area and Dera Ismail Khan.

Ayaz Amir of the Pakistan Muslim League-N urged the coalition government to rethink Pakistan’s present posture adopted by former president Pervez Musharraf without consulting any parliament and said the army too was looking towards the civilian leaders to get it out of a “quagmire”.

Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who heads the opposition PPP-S faction, opposed the use of air power against tribal militants in Bajaur, where he said about 400,000 people had been forced to migrate and complained that not enough was done to help them.

On an initiative by Speaker Fehmida Mirza, the house, before being adjourned until 10am on Friday, agreed for the creation of a relief fund for the displaced people with the contribution of at least one month’s salary by each member.

The house earlier unanimously passed a resolution demanding a humane treatment for Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui now under US detention, location of her missing children and her immediate repatriation to Pakistan.

Another joint resolution strongly condemned the reported publication of “imaginary caricatures and pictures” of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his companions by an Indian newspaper and called for lodging a protest with the Indian government and a strict action against the paper.