ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain says government will proceed for reconciliation with groups of TTP who accept law and the constitution of Pakistan.
Addressing a ceremony in Pind Dadan Khan on Saturday, the Information Minister said Pakistan has suffered a lot in fight against terrorism. He said Pakistan has played an important and positive role for peace process in Afghanistan.
Fawad Chaudhry also said Pakistan was lucky to have leader of the stature of Prime Minister Imran Khan whose voice was heard all over the world. “The international community was looking towards Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sagacity for resolution of regional problems”, he said.
“When Imran Khan speaks on environment, Afghanistan, Kashmir or Palestine issues, not only Muslims Ummah but entire international community pays heed to him,” he said. He said nations needed leaders of high stature and international reputation to convey their viewpoint at international forums. He said Pakistan needed continuity in politics and economic policies. The minister said during past couple of weeks over a dozen world leaders telephoned Imran Khan for consultations on future of Afghanistan. Similarly counterparts from over 20 countries met Shah Mehmood Qureshi during his visit to UN recently.
The minister said Pakistan’s positive role in Afghanistan was evident before the entire world and was being acknowledged. He said Pakistan bore the brunt of Afghan’s war as martyrs of war against terrorism were buried in almost every graveyard in the country. He said only the other day a youth from Rawalpindi sacrificed his life in line of duty in an anti terrorism operation.
Fawad Ch said after the recent change in Afghanistan, Indian terror network there has been broken. He said since 2005 Prime Minister Imran Khan was calling for political solution of Afghanistan problem but the world did not paid heed, adding, when Imran Khan assumed office in 2018 he asked the then president of United States Donald Trump to start dialogue for resolution of Afghan problem.
The minister said finally US and Taliban sat on the negotiation table due to the efforts of Pakistan. He said it was great achievement of the political and military leadership of Pakistan that US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed without any bloodshed.
Fawad said Pakistan was fearing influx of Afghan refugees but due to peaceful change of regime there, no Afghan refugees came to Pakistan. He said due to loot and plunder of former rulers belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan’s economy was not strong enough to bear the brunt of more Afghan refugees.
He said now time had come to shift focus towards security and stabilize the economy. He said now the issue of the neighbouring was settled, adding, Prime Minister Imran Khan had given a new agenda of reconciliation to bring those elements in national mainstream who, in the past, were detracked by inimical forces.
He said for durable peace it was imperative to hold talks with those elements who were ready to surrender arms and believed in rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. The minister said it was the vision and politics of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan which made Pakistan a peaceful and prosperous nation. He said more than 3000 disgruntled Baloch youth had surrendered arms and rejoined the national mainstream. He said his step was vital to save the new generation from terrorism and violence and pave the way for stronger Pakistan.
He said top leadership of other political parties including PPP and PML-N was in the hands of political novices like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Safdar who had no experience and could not understand complexities of global politics.
The minister appealed to senior leaders of both the parties not to follow them as Pakistan was not a monarchy and leaders could not be chosen on the basis of wills ot telephone calls. He said it was highly ironic that both the parties claimed to be struggling for democracy and democratic values but actually there was dictatorship inside both parties.
He said PTI had no comparison with frivolous and immature leadership of other political parties as it was only party popular in all parts of the country from Karachi to Peshawar and from Gilgit-Baltistan to Quetta.
Fawad recalled that Karachi, which was dominated by ethnic politics for many decades, was brought back in mainstream by Imran Khan as in 2018, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf won from the most of its constituencies. He said inflation and price hike was an issue for the salaried class but the government was taking measures to mitigate its impacts. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the plantation campaign in Pind Dadan Khan by planting a sapling. The campaign had been launched by Punjab Forest Department as part of the10 Billlion Tree Tsunami programme.
