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Opposition is dying on its own: Sheikh Rashid

ISLAMABAD, Feb 06 (SABAH): Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday played down the opposition’s decision to use all means to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, saying the opposition is dying on its own.

While addressing a brief press conference in Islamabad, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the long marches by the opposition will fail. “These people say they will send our government home, but they will surely fail,” he added.

If they want to bring a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan they are more than welcome to do so, he said, adding that they can all join hands against the government but they will still fail.

In a comment on Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said Maulana Fazlur Rehman used to say that he will remove Imran Khan from the government “like a fly out of milk”, but now it’s the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that removed him in this manner from the Saturday’s meeting in Lahore.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman can try all he wants but the PPP and PML-N will not resign from the assemblies, Sheikh Rashid claimed. He further said that the long march will not succeed either.

Sheikh Rashid said he had asked the opposition to change their protest date but now “I want them to come”. “These people are trying to foment instability,” he alleged. “These money launderers have put Pakistan in crisis,” Sheikh Rashid said referring to the opposition leaders.

Speaking about the security operation in Balochistan, Sheikh Rashid said the state will go after anyone who would pick arms against it. The security forces killed 20 militants over the three-day-long operation and nine army personnel lost their lives as a result of the operation, he added. Sheikh Rashid said our security forces are ready to give befitting response to any terrorist activity in the country. He paid tribute to security forces for Killing 20 terrorists in 72 hours.

The minister said the attackers had received help from India, adding that the government will talk to anyone but not to those who would attack the state installations.

Sheikh Rashid said the government will also pick up the issue of prisoners in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, during the visit of its interior minister to Pakistan. “We are also in touch with Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait to bring back our citizens imprisoned over petty crimes,” he added.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif is set to arrive in Pakistan on today (Monday) at the special invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

The Minister said we are in talk with different countries to bring back Pakistani prisoners who have been arrested in minor cases.

Meanwhile in an interview with a private TV channel, Sheikh Rashid said that the terrorists will fail and great armed forces of Pakistan and civil armed forces will defeat them. He said that the armed forces foiled the designs of the terrorists in Turbat, Panjgur and Noshki.

Sheikh Rashid said that Pakistan is enjoying very good relations with Afghan Taliban and these relations should be further improved. He said that installation of over 200 kilometers long fence at the Pak-Iran border is remaining and only 20 kilometer fencing is remaining along with Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He said that the National Action Plan (NAP) is being implemented morning till evening and terrorism is another factor. He said that 14 points of NAP are being implemented enthusiastically.