ISLAMABAD – Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday lashed out at opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz for criticising the state institutions and said that Pakistan Army and its state institutions were guarantors of national security.
“What narrative you want to take forward, all this puts the question mark on the country’s security but Pakistan Army and its institutions are guarantors of the national security,” the minister said while addressing a press conference here at the new secretariat of interior ministry’s National Crisis Information Management Cell.
He, referring to PML-N leadership, said that “power-hungry people” would get nothing and these were the same people who would repent and would trap themselves in difficulty. Responding questions about PML-N leader Maryam’s recent criticism on state institutions concerning national security, the interior minister said that she did not want to clear way of her uncle and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif in politics “They would not get any way at all and this does not matter if they criticise state institution only to grab attention,” he said adding that whole world admitted performance and abilities of Pakistan Army and its institutions.
Maryam doesn’t want to clear way of her uncle Shehbaz Sharif in politics
“I am seeing that politics of Nawaz Sharif is dying,” Sh Rashid said. He said that PML-N leadership wanted to remain in news through fake Covid-19 vaccinations. The interior ministry would issue passport to former PM Nawaz in 24 hours if he wanted to return to country from London, he said. “But he would not come back. They will only create political mess and would face its brunt themselves.” He said he had no knowledge about govt-TTP negotiations. “If some people wanted to surrender and show allegiance to Pakistan, then there is no harm in holding talks with them.”
The interior minister said that government had enough information that banned TTP was re-grouping and some four smaller militant groups have joined it. But Pakistan Army wanted to settle the issue of militancy, otherwise, it has the capability that country should remain secure, he added. “We want reconciliation and not confrontation,” he said.
Rashid said that Afghan Taliban’s opposite groups would try that there should be chaos on Pakistan’s borders. But be sure that we are moving in a better direction, he said.
He said that an online visa was going to be started for Afghanistan soon and all complaints of permits would be solved within 10 days on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “After this, there will be only online entry and no on arrival visa.”
He said that Pakistan was going to introduce modern online entry at its borders through online visa as they had no data about those international travelers who entered the country before this. The whereabouts of some thousands of foreigners, who had entered the country during different times, are unknown in Pakistan, he said. He said that the government would soon announce amnesty for such people asking them either to leave the country by 30th of next month or face action. The interior minister also said that 20-point National Action Plan on Counter Terrorism and Counter Extremism has been reduced to 14 points on the directions of PM Imran Khan.
Sh Rashid said that Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s name had already been placed on ECL. He said that FIA y was investigating 35 people on allegations of hoarding of US dollar and the agency had been asked to stop such practice in future.