PTI's propaganda against COAS and family intolerable: PM Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday denounced the propaganda against the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and his family on the PTI website, calling it intolerable and heartwrenching.

He expressed these remarks during a federal cabinet meeting today. The premier condemned the actions of the group responsible for the events of May 9, accusing them of using new tactics to disrupt the country.

"The May 9 group left no stone unturned in shaking the foundations of the country. Today, they are committing new offences with new tactics," he added.

PM Shehbaz also expressed his concerns about the ongoing atrocities in Palestine, stating that Israel has killed 40,000 Palestinians and that UN resolutions have had no impact on Israel. He emphasised that the situation must be condemned as much as possible.

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Regarding recent attacks on the Pakistani consulate in Germany and London, Shehbaz described these incidents as deeply unfortunate. He stressed the importance of ensuring the protection of Pakistani diplomatic missions and indicated that the foreign minister has taken immediate action.

He called for the relevant countries' ambassadors to be summoned and urged them to take responsibility for protecting Pakistani embassies.

Highlighting Afghanistan's role in the recent surge of terrorism, the Prime Minister stated that the government has been engaging with them, including a visit by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

He questioned, “How is it that we hosted millions of their people without complaints, treating them like brothers and never seeing them as a burden? Yet, we are repaid with TTP attacks on our citizens, disrupting peace and business in the country. This is unacceptable.”

The Prime Minister assured that Pakistan is prepared to handle any situation, as its brave armed forces have sacrificed their lives to protect the nation and its people.

“We will not tolerate any actions against the country, its innocent citizens, or its armed forces,” the Prime Minister declared, emphasizing the need for national unity to safeguard national interests.

The premier also addressed the recent surge in terrorism in K-P and Balochistan, which has led to the deaths of security personnel. He described this as a coordinated conspiracy involving neighbouring countries and stated that discussions are ongoing with them.

On the issue of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Shehbaz criticised the group's attacks on Pakistani citizens and its efforts to destabilise the country and destroy its economy. He stated that while Pakistan is fully prepared to protect its citizens, it prefers to resolve these issues through dialogue and peace.

He informed the members about a decision to eliminate visa fees for 126 countries, describing it as a significant step to facilitate business and attract investors, tourists, and travelers to Pakistan. This decision, following thorough discussions, will be presented to the cabinet for approval.

The Prime Minister noted that the loss from waiving visa fees will be offset by foreign exchange earned from investment and tourism, including religious tourism, where Pakistan has substantial potential.

Prime Minister Shehbaz added that visitors will receive their visas within 24 hours through an electronic travel authorization form. Additionally, E-gates will be installed at Gwadar Port and nine airports, starting with Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

Sources close to the matter revealed that the cabinet chose to defer the decision on both the PTI ban and the invoking of Article 6 against former President Arif Alvi, PTI founder Imran Khan, and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri,

They said that the deferment is pending further consultations with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other allied factions, after which the matter will be revisited in another cabinet session.