Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday attacked the PTI-led KP government for “facilitating terrorists, sowing division and undermining national security”, and stressed that the sacrifices of Pakistanis in the fight against terrorism will not be in vain.
The information minister’s comments come a day after army media wing spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, without naming anyone, said that “the state and its people will not and cannot be left to the whims of a single person considered most responsible for bringing back terrorism to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
“In the last week alone, there have been several terrorist attacks which were bravely and gallantly repelled by officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army,” Tarar said.
Referring to the PTI, he said that during this time there is only one party left, “Tehreek-i-Inteshaar” (chaos movement), which does not care about the sacrifices of our martyrs, nor the integrity of the country, and whose only interest is to “further divide KP, worsen the situation and create safe havens for terrorists within the province.”
“This is not a story for today,” the minister continued. “For decades, Imran Khan and his party have followed this pattern, showing sympathy for terrorists locally, regionally and even internationally, and acting as their enablers.”
“This nation has sacrificed a lot. Pakistan is the only country whose children have also given their lives,” he said.
“How can we forget the students of the APS Peshawar attack, those children who wrote a legendary chapter of blood sacrifice, a story that will live forever in history. [How] Can we forget the recently martyred children in Khuzdar, those who were attacked on a bus? How can we forget their sacrifices?
He said that he had personally visited Khuzdar and Quetta. “When we spoke to the parents of those children, they were such brave and extraordinary people. One man, whose three sons were martyred, stood up with complete courage and resolve and said, ‘My own life is also ready to be sacrificed for Pakistan.'”
He said the province had borne the brunt of militancy for decades, but its citizens had stood firm. “You will find countless examples of how the brave people of KP have made immense sacrifices for this country, be it armed forces, civilians, traders, doctors, engineers or traders and children, all segments of the society have sacrificed for Pakistan,” Tarar said.
“And when the entire country expressed its determination to eradicate terrorism by implementing the National Action Plan, everyone saw how the armed forces, the federal government of Nawaz Sharif and the provincial governments defeated terrorism through operations like Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad.”
Recalling the years when terrorism gripped the country, Tarar said it was a time when fear overshadowed everyday life. “This was the time when our cricket fields were deserted, every city would witness a terrorist incident every other day; this was the time when our ulama, our citizens, our children were sacrificing their lives,” he added.
He said the nation could not forget the Parade Lane mosque attack in which retired officers, children and citizens were martyred, adding that terrorists have no caste, creed or colour. “They only believe in violence and promoting terror. They have no god or prophet. They have nothing to do with any religion or Islam.”
The minister said that the State of Pakistan exists in the name of Kalima; the whole world sees it as a strong Islamic country. Attack the mosques of that state, attack its armed forces, attack the law enforcement of that state, carry out terrorist activities within that state; This is not allowed in any way, under any rule, and Islam does not allow it either.
He said that the ulama have already issued fatwas (edicts) stating that no jihad can be waged against the State of Pakistan.
“These terrorists do not spare even the mosques,” he said, adding that the sacrifices of these people [against terrorism] It will never be in vain.
Criticizing Imran, Tarar said there was a person in jail who believed that the nation’s sacrifices were worthless.
“If there is respect it is for how politics can be polished, and in that sense those people who chant the slogan ‘Khan Nahi, Pakistan Nahi’ [we] We consider that policy as a curse where by favoring one personality, you set Pakistan back and the personality advances,” he said.
He added that no political party had resorted to such slogans before, recalling that when Benazir Bhutto was martyred, PPP workers chanted “Pakistan khappay” (long live Pakistan).
“The PML-N leadership has always spoken for this country, even in the most difficult circumstances,” he said, asking: “What motto do you have?” [Imran Khan] given to your Pakistan? Is your personality the greatest and everyone else is below it?
Talking about Operation Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad, he stated that peace was established in 2017, but in 2018, when the KP government came to power, it invited and resettled terrorists in the province.
He alleged that there was a reason behind this: an illegal spectrum through which the KP government promotes smuggling, illegal trade and an undocumented economy. “This includes non-custom payment car business, oil smuggling, food smuggling, tobacco and timber business in which terrorists and KP PTI government have a nexus. KP government and PTI benefit from this,” he said, adding that these people also finance Imran.
He said they settled the militants in populated areas, helped them set up businesses and established formal business partnerships with them. That “successful plan,” he commented, now haunts the nation as “we collect bodies every day.” He added that this will not be allowed to continue.
“The State of Pakistan will never allow any person or group to support these terrorists. The State of Pakistan has decided that it will defeat the terrorists.
“When history is written, on one side will be our brave people and on the other will be Tehreek-i-Inteshaar (PTI), which believed it was an advantage to support terrorists.”
Talking about the newly appointed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, he said that when it came to selecting a CM, they chose someone who has cases against him, “who is known to be involved in drug trafficking and business.”
Tarar added that this was part of the same shadow economy through which the PTI makes profits.
The minister claimed that “there have been speculations that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was becoming the militant wing of the PTI.”
“I hope this is not true, but it is speculation,” he said.
‘We defend the blood of the martyrs’: PTI
Meanwhile, PTI leaders today held a press conference in Islamabad in response to the DG ISPR communicator, stating that the party represents the blood of martyrs and warning that misrepresenting the PTI would not erase the people’s love for Imran.
“A very emotional press conference was held yesterday. We will not answer word for word, but we know that we are loyal to Pakistan, and ninety percent of the country’s population supports Imran Khan,” PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said.
“Khan Sahib has always made us a nation; we were raised with the ideals of Allama Iqbal. We defend the blood of martyrs. Calling us traitors is a misunderstanding that will harm this country,” he said.
“For the love of God, come to your senses. The nation stands with Imran Khan and the PTI. You cannot remove the love for Imran Khan from the hearts of the people. The Pakistani nation knows who is truly loyal to this country and this nation.”
