Rashid rebuffs Bilawal’s criticism of NAP

Information minister says parliament already overseeing the counterterror plan

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has rejected Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s demand for a parliamentary body to oversee the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism, claiming that parliament is already monitoring the countrywide action against terrorism.

Responding to the PPP chairman’s scathing criticism of the government on Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary, the minister said the government was ‘proud’ of the initiative, which has been supported by the international community as well.

“Why wasn’t NAP launched under former presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Pervez Musharraf?” Rashid asked, arguing that the ruling PML-N had evolved national consensus against terrorism under the revised anti-terror policy formulated after the horrific Peshawar school massacre.

“Even [Sindh Chief Minister] Qaim Ali Shah has admitted 80% achievements through the NAP,” he said. The NAP had restored peace in Karachi. But some people in the Pakistan Peoples Party have personal grief and pains which they express on the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto.

Rashid said the PPP should review its statements issued during its reign while negotiating with Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Allama Tahirul Qadri who had led a march to the federal capital. This assessment, he said, would make the party understand what the NAP was all about.

He said if Bilawal knew the name of any supporter of the Middle Eastern terror group Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Da’ish present in Islamabad, he should name him.

Responding to criticism of the Punjab government over the Model Town tragedy, the minister said it was yet to be decided who was involved in the bloodshed. He added that propaganda against the PML-N over the incident was unfair.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2015.