LAHORE / PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the need for political leaders and religious leaders to work together to defeat the “new wave of terrorism” in the fight against militancy.
“We will never be able to fight [against militancy] without unity,” he told a meeting of the apex committee made up of political and military leaders who met in Peshawar to discuss the issue and promise to eradicate terrorism.
At the meeting, which was held despite an invitation from the main opposition PTI, the premier stated that an action against militants was necessary and that “if we don’t act now, history will not forgive us.”
The chairman of the PTI, Imran Khan, has also stated that he will not attend a multi-party conference (MPC), which will be held on February 7 and be called by PM Shehbaz to discuss militancy and other issues facing the country.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir attended the meeting on Friday, four days after a suicide attack inside a mosque at Peshawar’s police headquarters killed over 100 people, primarily police officers, and injured 221 more.
Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan chief ministers, interim chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir president, KP police chief, and a number of other federal ministers and political party representatives were also present.
The meeting’s chairperson, the prime minister, emphasized that the country was in a “make-or-break moment” and that political and religious differences should be avoided.
He recalled the same determination that was displayed following the attack on the Army Public School in 2014, when the military launched the Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad offensive against militants.
The prime minister lamented that militants were “brought here to be settled,” but they were unwilling to collaborate for the country’s future without naming the PTI.
The premier stated that the federal government had given Rs417 billion to KP since 2010 and questioned where the money was spent, noting that the federal government had been criticized for not supporting KP following militant attacks in Nowshera, Bannu, and Peshawar.
After the meeting, the premier released a statement in which he showed his support for the families of those who were killed in the Peshawar attack and announced that the federal government would pay Rs2 million to each person who was killed and Rs500,000 to those who were injured.
COAS visits blast site
Separately, COAS Gen. Munir met men and officers at the Police Lines blast site in Peshawar on Thursday. He acknowledged the bravery and contribution of KP police and other law enforcement agencies to the war on terrorism.
He stated, “We as a nation will collectively eradicate this threat of terrorism until enduring peace is achieved, and we shall achieve this.”
KP Police Chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said on Thursday that law enforcement agencies were getting closer to the militant network behind the attack and vowed to avenge the martyred police officers’ deaths.
Govt ‘must review attitude’
In the meantime, PTI leader and former speaker Asad Qaiser stated in a video posted to Twitter that the party was ready to sit, but the government needed to change its attitude and stop the crackdown on the opposition, referring to the PTI leadership’s cases.
Mr. Qaiser questioned whether the PTI government had managed to contain the militancy threat during its four-year term, which ended in April 2022: How many explosions occurred during our administration? How many suicide bombings and drone strikes occurred?”
He claimed that the federal government owed Rs230 billion to the province until January 5 and that KP’s funds had been frozen.
Imran berates Shehbaz
Asad Umar, the secretary general of the PTI, told reporters in Lahore that the party would not attend the MPC.
“How can we support the government when it is arresting our people, filing sedition cases against party leaders and workers, and violating the Constitution?” He was perplexed. We have repeatedly stated that the PTI will not be attending the conference.
Mr. Umar was speaking to the media outside of the Lahore High Court (LHC), where he and other party leaders had gone to hear about the date of the Punjab election.
Imran Khan also criticized PM Shehbaz and said he would not recognize an “imported government” that he said was destroying democracy and the economy with “brazen fascism” in a press statement.
“How is it that Shehbaz Sharif can be so insensitive and destroy democracy and the economy within ten months of his rule? Mr. Khan stated, “He is not only destroying the economy, but he is also violating the fundamental rights of people, the rule of law, and allowing terrorism to spread under his watch.”
Court intervention in polls
Asad Umar told reporters about by-elections in Punjab that the courts could instruct the president to announce dates if the government or governors did not do so.
Mr. Umar stated, “The court has sought replies from the government and governors next Thursday, and the matter should end there because the Constitution is very clear that elections must be held within 90 days.”
He asserted that polls could be held on any day between April 9 and April 13. This was already stated by the Election Commission.
