- Says there’s 78pc surge in terrorism across Pakistan during past 8 months.
- Clarifies caretakers has no role in ‘removing Imran from post of PTI chairman’
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday emphasized that moving forward was always in the interest of Pakistan, saying summoning former COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI DG Gen Faiz Hameed for probe into 2017 Faizabad sit-in case would be of no benefit for the country.
“This is the court’s job and a commission has been formed and it would not be appropriate to comment on that, but in my opinion, moving forward has always been beneficial for us,” the caretaker minister said during an interview with a private TV channel.
To a question as if he would facilitate the commission in summoning the former military men, Bugti said: “Why would they ask us to facilitate? If they [Faiz and Bajwa] are called, they would appear [before the commission] themselves, they are citizens of Pakistan.
“But how beneficial this is for Pakistan or not is a big question mark,” he said, adding that in his opinion this won’t be favourable for the country.
The federal government had on Nov 15 formed a fresh commission to probe the Faizabad sit-in and issued a notification of the same, which was then submitted before a Supreme Court bench hearing appeals against its 2019 verdict in the case.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa had said the commission was empowered to call anyone for investigation and no one would be exempt.
According to the notification issued by the government, the commission has been tasked with probing the various aspects of the Faizabad sit-in, including the role of intelligence agencies’ officials. It will submit its findings in a report to the federal government within two months.
So far, the commission has summoned former Punjab and Islamabad police chiefs Arif Nawaz and Sultan Azam Temuri, respectively, former Rawalpindi division commissioner Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary, ex-premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal. Neither Bajwa nor Faiz have been summoned by the panel as yet.
78pc rise in terrorism in last eight months
Talking about the overall law and order situation in the country, Bugti said there had been a 78 per cent increase in terrorism across Pakistan in the last eight months.
“We face a big challenge from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch separatists and this challenge has always been present,” he stated, pointing out that the same was not a new phenomena.
The minister said it was unfortunate that the country moved towards a policy of appeasement. “There is a lack of consistency because of which insurgents regroup […] we get lenient which enables them to re-strengthen and then attack us,” he explained.
Bugti said that there were security threats even today but added that this was a challenge that needed to be dealt with.
When asked about security for the upcoming elections, he said the defence ministry was better equipped to answer the question. “But the paramilitary forces under the interior ministry would remain available at the disposal of the Election Commission of Pakistan,” the minister said.
On the events of May 9, when violent protests erupted across Pakistan after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested, Bugti said the event was a “conspiracy against the army”.
He also clarified that the caretakers had no role in “removing Imran Khan from the post of PTI chairman”. Imran, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala jail, has decided to not contest intra-party polls scheduled for tomorrow and has nominated Barrister Gohar Khan.
