Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that while the rise in terror incidents was alarming it would not get “out of control”.
“It is not worrying […] Don’t think that this is going out of control or that some power will become out of reach,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
The minister also stressed that the issue needed to be addressed with an approach of not letting militancy rear its head again.
Earlier, he raised alarm over the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility for a suicide attack in Quetta yesterday, which claimed four lives, including that of a policeman.
That the TTP claimed responsibility for the attack was both “alarming and condemnable,” he said, adding that the TTP’s activities posed danger to regional peace and should also be a cause of concern for Afghanistan.
Sanaullah also regretted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan did not attend a recent security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He emphasised the need for provincial governments, security agencies and authorities, particularly KP and Balochistan, to address the issue of rising militancy in an effective manner.
“They need to take this matter seriously, and whenever they will need the help of the federal government and its agencies, we will assist them without any delay.
“Political matters aside, we have to play our role according to the system. I believe it is the KP CM’s responsibility to seek the help he needs from the federation and to address these matters,” Sanaullah asserted.
Sanaullah castigates PTI
During the press conference, the minister also castigated PTI chief Imran Khan for attempting to spread “anarchy and chaos” in the country and for persistently pushing the country toward uncertainty.
Sanaullah said that after the “failure” of the PTI’s long march, Imran should have accepted his defeat, apologised to the nation and made his way back to parliament.
“He should have sat down with politicians. Deadlocks are broken when politicians sit down together.” He gave the example of the coalition government, saying the parties had differing opinions on many issues but sat down and talked it over.
“But this man (Imran) has stopped so low. He only has one thing on his mind that what he says should be accepted.” The minister claimed that the mudslinging Imran indulged in after the retirement of Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa showed that he had “no humanity or shame”.
Taking exception with the PTI’s announcement regarding dissolving the KP and Punjab assemblies, he said: “He (Imran) says he wants to exit the corrupt system. But if that is what you want to do, then resign from the Senate and Gilgit-Baltistan and ask the president to also hand in his resignation.”
He also said that media reports suggested the PTI would dissolve the assemblies by Dec 20. “If you have decided to dissolve the assemblies, then why wait?”
More to follow.