Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has made a statement that he will fight terrorists with an iron fist. While he is right in saying that Pakistan has suffered a lot because of terrorism, mere statements would not be enough. Concrete steps need to be taken by the government to ensure that adequate security measures are placed in vulnerable areas around the country. His security czar, Rehman Malik, has so far shown little effectiveness in improving the law and order situation in the country. Flamboyant rhetoric about fighting terrorism is not enough. Timely action is required. The enemy, a huge monster of extremism, is at our gates. The recent terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Karachi are adding to the general impression that the government has shown very little effectiveness in curtailing these elements. The worsening of the law and order situation is also hampering our economy. With the PPP apparently failing at the economic front, it seems they are losing their grip on the country. -SARDAR ALI, Peshawar, via e-mail, July 9.