Cases of those who attacked military installations will be tried in military courts: PM Shehbaz
ISLAMABAD, July 23 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has reiterated that the cases of those who attacked military installations will be tried in military courts.
The prime minister expressed these views in an interview with a private TV channel on Sunday. PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the coalition government had two options when it came to power: either to continue the destructive politics of Imran Khan or to focus on saving the country.
He added that the government chose the latter, even though it faced many challenges, including floods, the rising cost of oil and commodities due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and the fallout from Imran Khan’s economic mismanagement.
He said that the events of May 9 were similar to the February 2019 Indian attack and that they were a conspiracy against Pakistan within Pakistan. The premier said that the ringleaders of the conspiracy were the PTI chairman and his confidantes. He went on to say that they had been planning the attack for one and a half years.
PM Shehbaz said that the events of May 9 were a heinous act of “coup” in the army and that Allah had foiled the conspiracy and saved Pakistan. The primer said that the forces and the people were one in condemning the incident and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. He questioned how would the families of the martyrs have felt on May 9.
He added that the government and institutions decided to adopt the constitutional and legal path to bring the perpetrators to justice. He said that no one would be given any concessions and that those who attacked civilian places would be prosecuted in civilian courts, while those who attacked military installations would be tried in military courts.
The premier said that the punishments would be so severe that no one would ever think of such a heinous act again. He said that the PTI chairman’s mind is empty and that countless resources have been spent on guiding and supporting him.
He said that the government has formed an exemplary constitutional coalition with the armed forces. “When I was in Madinah, I prayed to Allah Almighty that I would not have a single bad intention against this institution in my heart. Bad deeds are committed by individuals, not institutions.”
PM Shehbaz Sharif said that party supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will be PML-N’s nominee for the prime ministership. “He will return and face the charges. He has nothing to hide,” he said.
“Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on the advice of his doctors,” the prime minister said in response to a question about when the PML-N supremo will return to the country.
The premier said that when he became prime minister of Pakistan, he quashed the wrong impressions that some people had of him, namely that he was only an administrator and not a politician.
In response to a question about whether the government will consult with the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA), Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan, for the caretaker setup, PM Shehbaz said that Raja Riaz is an assertive leader. He went on to say that Raja Riaz is a man of principle who is committed to his word. “I have not yet been formally asked by Raja Riaz to give him the PML-N ticket,” he said, rebuffing the rumours.
He said that former prime minister Imran Khan’s decision to give subsidies on petroleum products at the time of the no-confidence vote broke the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal and put Pakistan on the brink of default. However, he added that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the new government was able to save the country from economic collapse.
PM Shehbaz accused Imran Khan of damaging Pakistan’s foreign policy and relations with key allies. He said that Imran Khan’s erratic behaviour and personal attacks on other countries led to a decline in relations with China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. He said that the government has restored relations with many countries, but that it will take time to rebuild trust with those that were damaged under Imran Khan’s leadership.
He also said that Imran Khan’s accusations against China were absurd and that he was never involved in any corruption with Chinese companies. “The former prime minister [Imran Khan] used to make absurd accusations against China in meetings. I was accused of taking 45% commission from Chinese companies,” PM Shehbaz regretted.
To a question, PM Shehbaz acknowledged that the political capital of his party had been affected by the recent political turmoil, but he said that he was satisfied that the state had been saved. He also said that the previous government had been mired in corruption, citing the sugar, wheat, Malam Jabba, and BRT scandals.
He said, “No doubt, politically, our vote bank has been greatly impacted, but I am satisfied that the state was saved, politics was abandoned.”
The premier said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government brought multiple positive news for the people of Pakistan, who were drenched in the economic crunch due to the bad policies of the former prime minister Imran Khan. He highlighted the coalition government’s milestones, including signing an agreement with the IMF, bringing in oil from Russia, and (yet to be signed) a liquefied natural gas (LNG) agreement for cheap gas with Azerbaijan.
He said that these are just some of the steps that the government is taking to revive the economy and improve the lives of the people.
PM Shehbaz reiterated that the coalition government will hand over the power to the interim government next month, even before the tenure’s culmination. He pinned hope that whoever wins the upcoming elections, would work for the betterment of the country.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said that there was no political victimisation during Nawaz Sharif’s era as prime minister while PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were dismantled in 2018. The PM questioned who created the Janoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz overnight in 2018 and how the Result Transmission System (RTS) shut down during the 2018 general elections. “The people who joined PTI in 2018 are now leaving it. It is their political right,” he said and added, “What goes around, comes around.”
PM Shehbaz expressed hope that general elections will be held on time. “We will step down from the government at the end of our term, and the law will take its course against the cases filed against PTI chairman Imran Khan,” he said. The PM argued that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has not been willing to hold elections. He said that the government had agreed with the PTI on a formula for simultaneous elections in all provinces and the federal government, but that Imran Khan had backed out at the last minute. The PM said that this proves that Khan does not want elections in the country.
The premier said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will decide whether elections will be held on the basis of the new census results.
A new government with a fresh five-year mandate will only work for the betterment of the country, he commented.
The premier said that Pakistan is going to ink a government-to-government accord with Azerbaijan to purchase cost-effective LNG. “I am very kind to the President of the brotherly country Azerbaijan (Ilham Aliyev).”
PM Shehbaz criticised the previous government for giving out $3 billion in loans to the richest business houses in the country at a 4% interest rate. He said that this money could have been better spent on helping the poor and needy.
“I wish these $3 billion would have been given to the poor children of the country,” he said and added, “Those business houses who took the loans have no shame at all. That’s the problem.”
In response to a question about alleged facilitation being done by the Supreme Court (SC) with Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz said that Khan had received 18 bails in a record 18 minutes. “We respect the courts, but we will also take the issue to the people as we took to Parliament. I don’t care if a few judges are offended.” On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif and his daughter were even summoned to court on Saturdays during the Imran Khan era, he noted. PM Shehbaz said that he will raise the issue of the purchase of wheat worth Rs230 billion with the Punjab Interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He also highlighted that a deal worth 190 million pounds (approximately $248m) was made during the Imran Khan regime.
Aristocrats, landlords oppose pro-poor Danish school project
PM Shehbaz, while answering a question about Danish school project in Punjab, said, “Only the aristocrats and landlords oppose Danish schools. When I became chief executive [of Punjab] in 2008, we launched Danish schools from which over 50,000 children benefited.”