PTI rebuts Pervaiz Rashid's claims: PML-N has links with banned militant outfits: Shireen Mazari

In response to government allegations of links with banned outfits, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday, in a tit-for-tat response, accused the ruling PML-N of having links with some banned militant organisations in the past. PTI central information secretary Dr Shireen Mazari in a press conference said that the government was trying to politicise the anti-terrorism court by using them for issuing non-bailable arrest warrants against politicians, adding if anti-terrorism laws were used politically these would lose its importance.
She made these remarks in response to Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid's allegation a day ago in which he accused the PTI of collaborating with terrorist groups for its November 30 rally. He had said that the government had credible information that the PTI had outsourced some terrorist groups to create the law and order situation in the capital.
"Pervaiz Rashid showed videos yesterday and today I will also show you some video showing the PML-N had links with former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and some banned organisations in the past," Dr Mazari said. She also rejected the allegation that the PTI was involved in the Pakistan Television (PTV) attack case. Showing videos and photographs of some PML-N workers attacking the Supreme Court building, meetings of banned outfit Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat leader Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhyanvi with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, Mazari urged the international community to take notice of it.
"After 9/11, Pakistan is signatory to UN International Conventions against terrorism which say that who is sympathisers of militant organisations would be considered their supporters and I ask international community to make bound PM-L-N to these conventions," she maintained. Ms Mazari also mentioned a news story and accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of paying $10 million to former al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to overthrow the then PPP government in its first term.
Referring another news story, she said, "former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed had disclosed that Nawaz Sharif wanted to topple the BB government and was willing to pay Osama. Osama was a big supporter of the infamous Islami Jamhoori Ittehad and Nawaz Sharif was the IJI President at that time. Qazi disclosed that Osama wanted to buy parliamentarians as well as votes" to topple the Benazir Bhutto government and to bring Nawaz Sharif into power.
She said that Imran Khan had supported the military operation Zarb-e-Azb and the allegations of the information minister in this regard were wrong. "The government has made a mockery of anti-terrorism laws." "The courts the government has established to try terrorism-related cases is getting issued arrest warrants of the politicians," she said, adding that the government was bent on to damage the image of anti-terrorist courts. She said that Imran Khan had not only condemned attack on PTV but also announced from his container that he would no more in the party who had attacked the state-owned television station.
Showing another video, she said that PML-N workers had attacked a police station in Islamabad in July 2011 and got released then MNA Anjum Aqil Khan from police custody. "We want to remind who introduced culture of attack on state institutions," she said and asked Pervaiz Rashid to see who was sitting with the terrorists." She said that one of the PTI workers had died on Monday as a result of firing incident in Jhelum on Sunday and they would get register a case against Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
She rejected the allegation of the information minister that the PTI was promoting culture of terrorism and giving reference to news stories and photographs said, "Now it should be clear to every one that who had links with the terrorists." While answering the questions, Dr Mazari distanced the PTI from the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and said the latter was responsible for its actions. "Our position is non-violent and that has also been conveyed to All Pakistan Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed," she said.
She said that police could arrest Imran Khan as he had not hidden himself. "Do not play with the anti-terrorism laws. Police is using state institutions against political opponents of the government and undermining anti-terror laws," she said, adding: "If the government used violence against them to stop the November 30 rally then they would not sit silently.