Security matters: Course of politics will change after in-camera briefing to lawmakers: Rashid

RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, on Thursday, said that the course of politics in Pakistan would change after in-camera briefing to lawmakers on security matters with special reference to the emerging situation in Afghanistan.

Talking to reporters, he said that a visible change will be witnessed after today’s parliamentary committee on national security meeting.

I think that the government and the opposition are going to adopt a new path for the prosperity of the country, he said.

About upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election, he said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will form the government in the AJK like in Gilgit-Baltistan. He also urged the Kashmiris to vote for Imran Khan.

To a question about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and vice president Maryam Nawaz, he said that there is a big gap between Shehbaz and Maryam.

“The politics of both – Shehbaz and Maryam are different,” he said.

About the impact of the prime minister’s statement that Pakistan would not allow use of its soil against any other country, he said Pakistan wants good relation with all the world including the United States (US) and Europe but not at the cost of our relations with China.

He categorically rejected an irresponsible statement by India’s minister of state for home affairs regarding alleged drone attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Pakistan has nothing to do with a drone attack in the IIOJK, he said.

He asked India if they have any evidence they should provide it.

“Pakistan wants peace with India, but that is not possible without a solution to the Kashmir issue,” he said.

The minister said that Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan.

“I want there is no civil war in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan has not allowed use of its land against other country and we also want that no country would use its land against Pakistan.

About Lahore blast, he said that Punjab police had arrested the culprit involved in the attack on the next day.

He said that few more suspects involved in the incident had been held in Karachi.

He added that India’s premiere intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and other foreign elements want to destroy peace in Pakistan.

As many as 88 percent work on the fencing of the border with Afghanistan has been completed, and 46 percent of Pakistan-Iran border has so for been completed.

Complete fencing of borders will help in improvement in the situation.

To a question about opposition parties, he said that the opposition which had been talking about sending the present government packing has now mentally accepted that the PTI-led government would remain for the next two years.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021