Thursday, 20 October, 2022 I 23 Rabi ul Awwal, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 111 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
reemergence of TTP in swaT
Lawmakers in na voice concern over worsening Law and order ISLAMABAD
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staff report
AWMAKERS during the National Assembly session on Wednesday raised concerns over the worsening situation in Swat, saying the growing violence has forced the citizens to take to streets to register their protest. Speaking on floor of the National Assembly, Minster for Climate Change Sherry Rehman pointed out what is happening in Pakistan is not an insurgency rather it is terrorism and compared the situation in swat with that in neighbouring Afghanistan prior to the end of a 20year-long war. The PPP senator lashed out at violent elements for “hiding their nefarious designs behind religion.” “Sorry, it is only a fight for power. It is not a fight for religion, and have the guts to say it.” Recalling that the PPP became a “soft target” for denouncing terrorism earlier, she added, “We have not come here to mince words on this [issue]. Neither are we here for terrorism to rear its head again—and rear its head again in Swat. “This is our country and we have to save it.” She demanded that “everyone should be taken into confidence on the progress of operations” launched again terrorism and the direction in which they are headed. “Pakistan has paid a big price [for fighting terrorism] in the past and there have been several successful operations that were acknowledged by the entire world. “And now, the TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) is on the rise. But in what capacity, and as what? Citizens of Pakistan? Have they demilitarised?” she questioned, adding that if such was the
case, “show us the evidence”. Earlier in her address, she said there could no “protracted, result-oriented engagement with terrorism. “A terrorist is a terrorist and he remains one because he took up weapons. And when he agrees to talk to you, he has pre-conditions.” She said wherever such elements were engaged in talks, it was after they laid down arms. The PPP senator recalled multiple incidents of terrorism and said it was beyond her understanding how a compromise could be reached with terrorists. “We have been in favour of dialogue with anyone who lays down arms and says that he will operate within the ambit of the Constitution of Pakistan,” she said, adding that a joint session of the house was called during the PPP’s tenure to chalk up a strategy against those who continued terrorism. “Call a joint house again,” she demanded. Earlier, Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif called for sitting together on the situation in Swat, among other issues of grave importance. He recalled that a similar situation
ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was set to enter the next business-to-business (B2B) mode after the productive government-level phase. Chairing a review meeting on CPEC, the prime minister said the government had rejuvenated the multi-billion dollar project that faced hiatus during the previous government. The meeting focused on infrastructure projects, particularly Main Line-1 (ML-1), Karachi Circular Railway and Karakoram Highway. The project related to the production of 10,000-megawatt electricity from solar and wind sources also came under discussion. Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was about to witness an industrial boom with the restoration of CPEC projects. He welcomed the interest of Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan’s solar projects. The prime minister said the ML-1 rail project would play an important role in strengthening of the national economy by connecting the country’s ports with China and Central Asia. He termed the ML-1 project the ‘backbone’ of the country with high prospects of progress. The meeting was attended by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, federal ministers – Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Salik Hussain, Syed Naveed Qamar, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Syed Murtaza Mehmood and Tariq Bashir Cheema, Adviser to PM Ahad Cheema,
fake encounter by the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department in Kharan on Monday. The BNP-M said the issue had plagued Balochistan for long, warning that most of the youth in Balochistan had reached “a point of no return. “You may be able to end who you call terrorists through such tactics, but the seeds of hatred that you are sowing cannot be perished by any atomic power of the world.” He called for constituting a high-level judicial inquiry commission, headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge, to probe the “fake encounters” in Balochistan, particularly referring to three incidents in Ziarat, Mastung and Kharan. Responding to Mengal, Asif described that issue as “wounds of the state that have been bleeding for years”. And ignoring them or staying in denial would be harmful for any nation, he warned.
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KP minister gets extortion letter from TTP MARDAN: The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) has allegedly sent a letter to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Science and Technology Minister Atif Khan, threatening him to pay Rs8 million as “extortion” in three days or prepare for the consequences, it emerged on Wednesday. The letter appeared to be sent by “Mardan chapter” of the outlawed TTP as the minister hails from Mardan. “You know who we are and what we want. We know you very closely and have all your data and records because you are on TTP Mardan’s wanted list and your turn has come,” the letter reads. “Thus, you will have to either fulfil our demand to exit this list, or you will lose your life. Our demand is for Rs8m. We want an answer within three days.” Talking to the media on Wednesday, Atif Khan confirmed that he had received the letter. “The way “extortion letters’’ have been received by some people” he said. The minister said he had shared the letter with all security agencies and now the onus for taking action was on them. The KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said an investigation would be conducted into the letter received by Khan and action would be taken in accordance with the law. “The KP government will not tolerate extortion [demands]. Whoever receives such a letter or call should inform the police. “Some criminals are carrying out these activities. The KP government will deal fully with them.” Media also reached out to the Counter Terrorism Department for comment. The incident comes amid renewed concerns about increasing militancy and TTP’s resurgence in the country’s northern areas. Weary residents of Swat and Shangla have been protesting for weeks demanding terrorists be reined in after a slew of attacks has left them jittery. Last month, an anti-Taliban peace committee member was among eight people killed after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a suicide blast in Swat. Last week, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a school van, killing the driver dead and injuring two children in the same district.
Industrial boom nears as CPEC about to enter B2B phase: PM Shehbaz staff report
in Swat was seen 11 to 12 years ago when concerns were raised that “those in Swat may not be too far away from Islamabad”. Today, after a gap of 12 to 13 years, a similar scenario is being witnessed in Swat, he regretted, although adding that presently, it was not of the same “velocity and gravity” as more than a decade ago. However, he continued, a positive was that the people of Swat had come out and were united against without any discrimination or political differences. At the same time, he warned that “whatever is happening in Swat and elsewhere, those flames can reach us as well”. ‘Fake encounters in Balochistan’ Earlier in the session, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal recounted various incidents in which, he alleged, innocent people were killed and presented as terrorists. He particularly referred to the killing of three missing persons allegedly in
Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musaddik Malik, special assistants – Tariq Fatemi, Zafaruddin Mehmood, Jahanzeb Khan and Syed Fahad Hussain, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ahsan Afzal, Badar Shehbaz and senior officials. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah joined the meeting through video link.
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Majority of cabinet members fail to declare assets ISLAMABAD staff report
A majority of advisors and special assistants to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the federal cabinet have not disclosed
details of their assets on online portal of the cabinet secretariat so far. According to details, among the 29 SAPMs, only five have declared their assets which included Tariq Fatemi, Shiza Khawaja, Owais Siddiqui and Sadiq Iftekhar. Those who have not declared their assets included Muhammad Sadiq, Syed Fahd Husain, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Sheikh Fayyaz Uddin, Robina Khurshid Alam, Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, Zafaruddin Mahmood, Attaullah Tarar, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Rubina Irfan, Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar, Shaharyar Ali Khan, Nawabzada Iftakhar Ahmed Khan Babar, Mahar Irshad Ahmad Khan, Raza Rabani Khar, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Faisal Karim Kundi, Sardar Saleem Haider and others. The advisors include Awn Chaudhry and Ahad Cheema. According to the rules, these advisors and special assistants are breaching a cabinet resolution made under the ex-PM’s term to increase openness for the public interest. The special assistants are also obligated to disclose their nationality and publicize it on the official website of the cabinet division.