Islamabad [Pakistan], April 7 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Saturday lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for calling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as ‘a corridor of terrorists and smugglers,’ Dawn reported, adding that the PTI leaders blamed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government for the resurgence of terrorism in the country.
Addressing the press conference along with Punjab PTI Secretary Information Shaukat Mahmood Basra, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan came down heavily on her for blaming the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and PTI for political instability.
He said that the Sharif family was known for enmity with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was showcased in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s statement, who called people ‘fool’ for inflicting him and party’s repeated defeats, according to Dawn report.
Raoof Hasan criticised Maryam Nawaz for accusing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of transporting lethal strings to Punjab. He said the Sharifs and their ‘facilitators’ were responsible for the resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan, adding that PML-N, PPP, MQM and other components of the PDM planned to “topple a stable PTI government to create a political vacuum that was then filled by terrorists.”
Hasan stressed that terrorism was not a new phenomenon and the issue dated back to the time when Nawaz Sharif was part of the government with the backing of military that “imported terrorism” in Pakistan.
PTI leader’s remarks came after Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for not taking enough measures to check its corridors that were open to terrorists and smugglers.
In her remarks at her maiden Punjab apex committee meeting on Friday, Maryam Nawaz claimed that the metal strong that slit open the throat of a youth in Faisalabad was also brought from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said, “Punjab has decided to set up posts at its provincial border to stop terrorism and smuggling,” Dawn reported.
He recalled that PTI despite the PML-N mindset adopted a positive attitude towards the Centre. He spoke about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recent visit to Islamabad, where he met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
PTI leader said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a visit to Peshawar because of which he said the PTI faced a backlash and criticism from party cadres and supporters.
He said they informed the PTI workers and activists about party’s rationale to convince them that being a federating unit, it was a constitutional obligation to keep a healthy working relationship with the Centre despite differences.
Hasan further said that despite all the good efforts made by the provincial government, Centre failed to honour its responsibilities as it neither appointed officers sought by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government nor release the long-pending funds of the province, Dawn reported.
He criticised Amir Muqam and other political rivals who were openly supporting implementing a governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the move being against assembly’s resolution and thus unconstitutional. He said that the rule of law remained non-existent, constitution was being disregarded and morality has been ruined in Pakistan during the past two years.
Raoof Hasan said political parties who said that PTI was responsible for resurgence of terrorism had publicly spoken bad about judges and generals. He said people have not forgotten Nawaz Sharif’s Gujranwala speech, where he said that Sharifs had a history of “attacking state institutions as Nawaz’s goons attacked Supreme Court and bought judges”.
PTI leader called all provincial governments, except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “fake and unlawful”, adding that the reason of their frustration was that people of Pakistan rejected them in the elections held on February 8, as none of the members of Sharif family including Nawaz Sharif could actually win their seats.
He announced that tribunals would expose their “polls fraud” before people of Pakistan, according to Dawn report. Hasan vowed that PTI will continue their struggle against “mandate theft” until reclaiming their mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Centre. He said that people would not let the “criminals to escape” Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Shaukat Mahmood Basra said the Sharif family and the Punjab CM were taking revenge of the “humiliating defeat” in the polls. He said placing all the economic burden of government policies on farmers was highly condemnable. (ANI)
