ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Monday said the Afghan Taliban have assured Pakistan that it will not allow banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use its soil against Pakistan. When he was asked during a press conference about release of TTP members after Taliban's takeover, he said that the government of Pakistan is in regular contact with the Taliban and they have assured Pakistan that Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan.
Responding to a question about Afghan refugees, he said that no decision has been taken about the matter and the federal cabinet will make a decision in this regard. However, he said that so far there is no pressure about refugees.
The minister said that 40 Chinese companies working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC) were already being provided security by the army.
About the recent terror attacks, he said that international conspiracies are being hatched to sabotage the CPEC projects.
The minister said that he had assured Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong of complete security to Chinese workers.
Pakistan may share concerns over security threat by TTP at ‘Troika Plus’
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is committed to take forward this mega project which is the jugular vein of our economy.
The law enforcement agencies have arrested majority of the suspects involved in the terror attacks against Chinese and remaining have also been identified, he said, adding that we have also reached the source of Fisher Colony incident in which a vehicle carrying nationals was target in Balochistan's Gwadar district.
About evacuation of foreigners from Afghanistan after Taliban takeover, he said that 1,277 people including Americans have been evacuated and more than 4,000 visas had been issued including to the Afghanistan cricket team.
He said that 853 people entered Pakistan through the Torkham border.
One-month visa-on-arrival facilities were being provided to diplomats and officials of international organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said.
He said that Pakistan had no connection with the situation at the Kabul airport.
Pakistan has no objection on requests by the European Union (EU) and other countries to park their planes in Pakistan for transport and other matters.
The minister said that the Ministry of Interior has set up a facilitation centre headed by additional secretary regarding evacuation of people from Afghanistan.
Will bring back all Pakistanis from Afghanistan within two days: Rashid
To a question about Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said that the opposition parties are staging a public gathering for the last three years but no result has come out.
However, politics of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman my get better due to the Afghanistan issue.
When asked about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz's absence on the wedding ceremony of her son Junaid Safdar in London, he said that no permission was sought for removal of her name from the exit control list (ECL), adding if there had been any request, he would have sent it to the cabinet for further deliberation.
Rasheed said that six new drones will be purchased and 192 cameras will be installed in the city. Rescue service will also be started in the federal capital on the pattern of Punjab Rescue Service 1122, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.