ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Sunday lambasted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying that the former ruling party was “standing with the terrorists” as it opposed the operation “Azm-e-Istehkam”.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government announced a new counter-terrorism operation, vowing to utilise the full strength of the country’s resources, including military, diplomatic, and legislative, to turn the heat up on terrorists.
The Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan (NAP) gave the approval for the operation, in which top officials of all provinces were present, including PTI-backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
The move comes as the country has witnessed a significant surge in terrorist attacks in recent months resulting in scores of both civilian and security forces’ casualties.
Pakistan has time and again called on Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration to prevent its soil from being used by various terrorist organisations against Pakistan — an allegation Kabul has denied.
Talking on the floor of the National Assembly as the opposition sloganeered calling for “an end to the operation,” Asif said. “In yesterday’s meeting, their Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister was present. All these decisions were taken in front of him.”
The PTI had staged a walkout for an hour against the operation, but later returned and began raising several slogans, including “end the operation”, and “we want peace”.
Asif, coming down hard on the PTI lawmakers, said that their protest in the parliament was tantamount to them supporting and standing with the terrorists.
“They are against the Pakistani Army and the martyrs. They still stand with their May 9 stance,” Asif said, referring to the violent event that took place when PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested, which saw state installations being attacked.
The defence minister said he was speaking about the country’s security, but the PTI’s only goal was to protest and not to hear him out. “They are neither with the country nor with the Constitution.”
While they staged the walkout, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, speaking outside the Parliament House, said that the legislature must be taken into confidence before any operation is launched.
PTI’s top leader Asad Qasier told reporters that any decision or agreement reached must be brought before the parliament. “We do not support any operation.”
Hours before the lower house’s session PTI and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had said that military operation is not the solution to the problems.
The development came during a meeting between PTI’s Qaiser and JUI-F Emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday in Islamabad, with both expressing concern over the deteriorating security, law and order situation in KP.
Both politicians stressed the role of political parties in achieving peace and stability in the province.
