LAHORE: Interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar strongly criticized those supporting armed militants disguised as backers of Baloch protesters, who faced police brutality in Islamabad.
Kakar made these remarks during a press briefing in Lahore while Baloch families staged protests in Balochistan against alleged “extra-judicial killings” and forced disappearances.
He emphasized that the state would not tolerate elements aiding terrorists and armed militants responsible for the deaths of Baloch people, including professionals like doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
Referring to media criticism, Kakar stated that the portrayal of the Baloch families’ protest in Islamabad was misleading and contradicted the reality of Baloch people standing in unity with the state.
While acknowledging the right to peaceful protest within constitutional boundaries, the Prime Minister expressed disapproval of baseless criticisms apart from the families’ legitimate grievances.
However, Kakar affirmed that support or propagation of the militants’ narrative wouldn’t be permitted by the state. He also mentioned that it wasn’t his responsibility to engage with critics on social media.
He suggested those supporting armed militants to align themselves with groups that deemed terrorism as a movement, rather than advocating their cause.
Highlighting the issue of terrorism funding, Kakar attributed it to the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), alleging their involvement in the killings in Balochistan.
Regarding the fight against terrorism, he mentioned the significant number of casualties and the inadequate number of convictions, stressing the need for improvements in the country’s criminal justice system.
Responding to queries, Kakar expressed concern over the recent firing incident in Dera Ismail Khan involving vehicles of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, labeling it as alarming.
He reassured the allocation of available resources to address security threats in the southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vowing to utilize all resources and security measures to ensure peaceful general elections.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
