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PM VOWS PAKISTAN WON’T LEAVE TURKISH, SYRIAN BRETHREN IN LURCH g
SAYS PAKISTAN UTILIZING AIR- g DIRECTS CONTACT WITH BRIDGE AND ALSO SUPPLYING EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS RELIEF ASSISTANCE THROUGH INSTITUTIONS FOR LAND, SEA ROUTES FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
LAHORE
P
STAFF REPORT
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that Pakistan would continue assisting the quake-affected brethren and sisters of Turkiye and Syria by sending the relief aid. He said that the fund established for the earthquake-affected people of Turkiye would also be utilized to support the quake victims of Syria. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review the ongoing relief efforts on part of Pakistan to provide succor to the quake-affected populace of Turkiye and Syria, PM Office Media Wing said in a
press release. During the meeting, the prime minister said that Pakistan would bear all the expenses on the supply of relief goods to these countries. He also directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to purchase the required items keeping in view of the needs of the quake victims, adding that Pakistan was not only utilizing the air bridge but also ensuring supply of relief assistance through land and sea routes. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, PM’s Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi,
secretaries of foreign affairs, aviation, chairman NDMA and other high officials. The prime minister directed the minister for planning to contact the educational institutions for running an organized fund-raising campaign. He also asked the ministry of religious affairs to spread awareness in the religious institutions by taking the ulema on board. The prime minister, on the occasion, praised the ministers, authorities, institutions and personnel who have been making efforts for the provision of relief to the quake victims. He observed that the Pakistani rescue workers had been playing a major role in rescuing the people. During the meeting, the prime minister was apprised that relief items including winterized tents, blankets, quilts and warm clothes were being sent to Turkiye and a large part of this consignment had been sent through air bridge. Yesterday, a convoy of 21 trucks containing these items had left for the two countries. In the next few days, 1600 tons of ration would be dispatched to Turkiye and Syria through land and sea routes. The meeting was further briefed that the people had started donating relief goods at the NDMA collection points. Pakistan was immediately sending more than 11,000 winterized tents to the quake victims whereas 14,000 tents would be dispatched in the next week, and more than 42,000 blankets would be part of the relief assistance. Ambassadors of Pakistan to Turkiye and Syria also apprised the prime minister of the situation in the quake-affected areas and the requirements of the affected people. The prime minister directed them to remain in close contact with the respective governments of Turkiye and Syria.
Sanaullah says FIA ‘given go-ahead’ for arresting Shaukat Tarin KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Sunday that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been granted permission by the higher authorities to arrest former finance minister Shaukat Tarin. Talking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the FIA was given go-ahead for arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and ex-finance minister Shaukat Tarin. He said that Tarin will be brought to justice for his wrongdoings. The interior minister said that the federal government is working on improving security. He said that the premier held an important meeting regarding security affairs two days ago. Sanaullah said that development work is underway on key projects in Pakistan by China. He once again condemned the terrorist attack on the Peshawar mosque. Rana Sanaullah said that the security institutions are put on high alert after the new wave of terrorism. He said that special steps will be taken for the protection of Karachi citizens. Regarding inflation, Sanaullah said that the common man will be
given relief and Pakistan will avoid default after the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said that Imran Khan was ousted for bringing the country to default risk. He criticised Imran Khan’s recent statement and termed it ‘propaganda against the country’. Sanaullah alleged that Imran Khan has become a ‘political terrorist’ after bringing disasters to the country during his 3.5-year tenure. He blamed the former premier for signing the IMF agreement on wrong conditions which increased economic hardships for Pakistan. He further alleged that the PTI chief is running a campaign to destabilise Pakistan. He claimed that the nation rejects Imran Khan. Sanaullah defended the government’s move of arresting Imran Khan’s supporter and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed. The interior minister said that Sheikh Rasheed levelled a serious allegation of assassination on the head of a major political party and the case was filed against him over the court order. He rejected the impression of any vengeful action against the AML chief.
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Imran points to military ‘neglect’ as cause of increased terrorism LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Former prime minister Imran Khan criticised the security forces and intelligence agencies in the country for their “negligence” and blamed them for the increasing incidents of terrorism. Khan, who was interviewed by Voice of America, when asked about his government’s decision to negotiate with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) before its ouster in April of last year, defended his position and said he still stands by the decision to hold talks with the Afghanistan-based militant group. The interview came amidst the central Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government’s criticism of the policies adopted by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to handle the group following the collapse of Kabul in August 2021. “One of the reasons that terrorism has spiked in Pakistan is because, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA), the time that was taken for negotiations with TTP was used by that group to reorganise. Those talks
started when you were in power. Do you stand by your decision to greenlight those talks,” the interviewer, Sarah Zaman, asked. “Well, firstly, what were the choices [the] Pakistani government faced once the Taliban took over and they decided the TTP, and we’re talking about 30 to 40,000 people, you know, the families included, once they decided to send them back to Pakistan? Should we have just lined them up and shot them, or should we have tried to work with them to resettle them,” Khan replied. According to the former prime minister, the intention behind the talks was to secure resettlement with the cooperation of the security forces, politicians, and the TTP in the former Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) region. However, he said his government’s removal in a contentious confidence vote marred by allegations of military involvement caused the new government to take its eye off the situation, allowing the TTP to regroup. The former premier also questioned the absence of the security forces and
intelligence agencies during this regrouping and asked how his government could be held responsible for their negligence. He emphasised the need for the agencies to be vigilant and proactive in tackling the issue of terrorism in the country. Khan also discussed Pakistan’s approach to tackling terrorism and the importance of a strong relationship with the Taliban government in Afghanistan. He highlighted the need for joint efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan to address the issue of terrorism, stating that another “war on terror” was not an option. He emphasised the importance of having a good relationship with the government in Kabul, as the two countries share a 2,500-kilometer border. Khan also spoke about his past efforts to improve relations with former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and criticised Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari for not having made a single visit to Afghanistan. Khan warned against repeating the events of 2005 to 2015, when Pakistan
was grappling with terrorism along the Afghan border. He stressed the need to find a solution to the issue to prevent a similar outcome. During his interview, Khan also weighed in on his relationship with retired Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who
served as Pakistan’s army chief during his term in office. Khan praised the collaboration between his government and the military, observing it was instrumental in Pakistan’s success in handling the Covid-19 pandemic.
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