PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: QAZI USMAN/EXPRESS/FILE
Hamza Shahbaz, scion of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and a central leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, says his party has chosen to pursue dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a means to establish lasting peace in the country.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the rest of the party have set the nation’s prosperity as the foremost priority and will go to any extent to achieve this goal, he said.
In an exclusive interview with Express News Hamza said the prime minister has taken all parties on board regarding the talks.
“Even Imran Khan will acknowledge that we have successfully brought the nation together regarding talks,” he said. “When a few hardcore criminals have been identified and isolated from the rest of the mob, it becomes easy to handle them,” he added, referring to militant groups who have not abided by the ceasefire.
However, it should remain clear that if this battle will be fought in the streets, it is necessary for the nation to be prepared for such a time, Hamza said.
Hamza said the operation in Karachi will continue, and described the PM’s decision to conduct an operation in the city as ‘wise’.
“The issue of Karachi is a complex one. Too many groups are responsible for the unrest there and they have been gathering arms there for the last 15 years,” Hamza said.
The chief minister of Sindh enjoys the PM’s full support, he added, saying peace will remain a ‘far flung idea’ until the local leadership cooperates with the government and its institutions.
He said the PM did not ‘play politics’ over the situation in Thar and did not use it ‘for political ends’.
Referring to politics in India, Hamza said people in Pakistan have a greater awareness as they draw parallels between the situation in India.
“You land at any airport in India and you will see that even the sweepers speak English there,” he said, “They feel like continuity of the system will bring improvement.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2014.
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And who exactly are you Hamza? Just because your papa is the PM, you get to make policy statements?