ISLAMABAD 24 Feb (Online): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for skipping an apex committee meeting held to discuss the recent upsurge in terrorist incidents across the country.
“After Peshawar incident, I invited all political stakeholders… but they [PTI] did not consider it appropriate to participate in the huddle and they are still trying to resolve matters on streets,” he said while addressing the huddle on Friday.
The top civil and military leadership of the country attended the meeting.
Although the prime minister did not take name of any political party, he was referring to the PTI which kicked off a ‘court arrests’ movement earlier this week against the coalition government.
“For the sake of prosperity, we must sit down and resolve the matter amicably but unfortunately one segment is still trying to sabotage the matters, which is condemnable,” he added.
“If we want to make Pakistan an economic tiger then we must rise above personal likes and dislikes,” he added.
PM Shehbaz said his government’s coalition partners put their political capital at stake for the sake of state.
He told the participants that after a terrorist attack in Peshawar on February 3, the civil and military authorities had held a seven-hour long session and took several decisions.
The prime minister said during an attack on the Karachi police office last week, the personnel of Sindh police, Rangers and Pakistan Army bravely fought the terrorists. He also prayed for high ranks in the paradise for the soldiers martyred during the operation.
The prime minister said after the terrorist attack on the Army Public School of Peshawar, the national leadership had formulated a National Action Plan (NAP).
The prime minister said Pakistan currently faced economic challenges and expressed the hope that the situation would improve after the matters with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were finalised in near future.
He maintained that though the government was compelled to accept strict IMF conditions, the state of Pakistan was above all. Even the government’s coalition parties also put their political interests at stake for the sake of the country and to improve the economic situation.
He said that cooperation by the friendly countries was no less than Allah’s blessing, but the foremost priority should be to put our own house in order otherwise no one would come up to help.
“Pakistan is facing economic challenges… we will soon reach an agreement with the IMF but we were compelled to accept tough conditions,” the premier said.
He also emphasised the need for political stability to put the country on the path of development.
The premier also hailed law enforcement agencies and Pakistan Army for rendering sacrifices to eliminate terrorism from the country.
He recalled that Pakistan had sacrificed around 83,000 lives of its soldiers, politicians, and their families, and common citizens to restore the “peace for the world.”
Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir and DG ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum met PM Shehbaz at Prime Minister House in Islamabad ahead of the apex committee meeting.
The overall security situation of the country and ongoing operation against terrorism was discussed in the meeting.
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