India using Afghanistan to conspire against CPEC, says Iqbal

Minister inaugurates first Executive Passport Office of Quetta

QUETTA: India is using Afghanistan’s soil to make conspiracies against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The minister, while inaugurating the first Executive Passport Office of Quetta, warned the Indian leadership that all such conspiracies would be foiled with the support of the people of Pakistan and that the mega project would be made successful.

“We are ready to face Indians in every sector,” said Iqbal.



While talking about Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s meeting with his family, he said that Pakistan allowed the meet purely on humanitarian grounds. He added that in return the Indian army violated the Line of Control and opened unprovoked firing that resulted in the martyrdom of three Pakistani soldiers.

“The desire of peace should not be considered as weakness and Pakistan is ready to face any situation,” the interior minister warned New Delhi.

Referring to the national reconciliation ordinance (NRO), the minister said that it was the PPP who had taken the NRO and PML-N will never take it.

Iqbal reiterated that the policy of sit-in must be ended as it will damage the country economically and politically. He urged Tahir-ul-Qadri to abandon his sit-in plan to save the country from further damage.

The minister, while talking about the new facility he had inaugurated, said the government has set up the office to provide facilities to the people according to international standards.

Iqbal said that under the one-window operation all facilities would be provided to the applicants and 160 passports would be issued daily from the newly established executive office.



He added that male and female applicants would be dealt with separately.

The interior minister said that earlier people had to face difficulties in getting their passports and CNICs but now under the new system they will get both the documents easily.

Balochistan’s Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Home Secretary Dr Muhammad Akbar Harifal, Director General NADRA Balochistan Mir Ajam Khan Durrani, IG Police Moazzam Jah Ansari and other senior officials of the passport office also accompanied the minister.