United against terrorism: Imran congratulates Nawaz over ‘good start’
Says MQM needs to make important political decisions.
PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has congratulated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for what he called a good start to control terrorism in the country. He said if the law is made equal for all in Karachi, peace could be maintained.
Speaking in his first interview after the All Parties Conference (APC) to Express News host Javed Chaudhry for his talk show Kal Tak, Imran said that he was both happy and sad, over the decisions of the APC; happy because all that he has been saying since long about the problem was accepted and sad that uncountable losses have been inflicted to Pakistan since.
Commenting on the recent strike called in Karachi by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) he said that the party is standing at a juncture where it will have to make important decisions. He said that the politics of gun have failed in the megacity and damaged it badly as businesses, investment and people are leaving the city for safety and as a result the unemployment is increasing.
Imran said that it was MQM that set up its armed wing for extortion before anyone else and later some other parties followed suit and also started their ‘bhatta’ groups. He said that MQM closed down the whole city just for one person. He advised MQM to stop blackmailing and bring to a halt its politics of pressure.
He said that Musharraf, in the same conference room after 9/11, had expressed so much fear that the United States, who in his words was like an injured bear, will destroy Pakistan as well if it did not cooperate. “It was so sad to see that the commander-in-chief of the country was making his own people suffer for crimes they had nothing to do with,” he lamented.
He said that the government started a series of lies like its claims that they were attacking al Qaeda militants in tribal areas but instead they attacked innocent women and children and later gave free hand to FBI which is why people like Raymond Davis arrived here.
Historically, these tribal people had been our defenders, without ever creating issues for the nation, a fact even accepted by Quaid-e-Azam and the most irrational action was to send forces to Swat, according to the PTI chief.
He said he feels sad when he sees the great potential of this country not being unlocked. He said that if only hydro-projects in K-P had been built, the province alone could be able to fulfill the electricity needs of the entire country.
He said that extension in Gen Kayani’s service will cause damage which is why he should not be allowed any extension. He also called for cases against Asif Ali Zardari to be reopened.
He said that a ceasefire should be agreed upon to hold dialogue with Taliban. He also claimed that the Lal Masjid operation and Damadola attack triggered increase in the terrorist activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2013.