Terrorists responsible for dialogue failure: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that terrorists were responsible for the dialogue process not succeeding.

The prime minister added that safe havens of terrorists would be eliminated and the entire country stood behind brave soldiers of the Pakistan Army.

During a meeting with a delegation led by Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Ramzan Chaudhry, Prime Minister Sharif said a revolution in Pakistan could only be achieved via polls.

PM to meet political leaders

A meeting of political leaders will also be convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and he is expected to take them into confidence over the operation in North Waziristan and challenges facing the country.

The prime minister will also call upon the support of political leaders for strengthening democracy in Pakistan.

PM invites Imran to visit IDPs

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also invited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan to visit IDP camps.

The prime minister’s invitation was declined by Imran Khan on account of prior political commitments.

Residents of North Waziristan have fled from their homes after the military launched an operation to root out terrorism. It is expected that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit IDP camps on Friday.

SC annoyed over failure to arrest culprits

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday expressed annoyance over the failure of apprehending the culprits involved in displaying anti-judiciary banners in the red zone and sought updated report by Wednesday on the issue.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Ejaz Afzal heard a civil miscellaneous application filed by Taufiq Asif, former President High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi regarding display of posters and banners in Islamabad against the judiciary.

Deputy Attorney General Khawaja Ahmed Hussain while appearing before the court submitted that they had failed to trace out Muhammad Rasheed, the man who ordered to display the banners.

He informed the court that two painters who had made those banners had been arrested and they told the investigation that one, Muhammad Rasheed, had ordered to prepare those banners.

Deputy attorney general sought adjournment saying that attorney general was in Lahore.Justice Ijaz Afzal however, inquired as to whether only two persons were responsible for the act. Deputy attorney general replied that they were investigating the matter but remained unsuccessful in nabbing the responsible persons.

At this, Justice Ijaz Afzal said if he (DAG) was unaware of the culprits, he should contact the interior secretary and inspector general of police.

Justice Jawwad S Khawaja observed that they had no concern about the contemptuous matter inscribed on the banners but concerned only as to how security breach took place in a city like Islamabad, the most protected place.

He said that CCTV cameras had been installed on every poll of the city, questioning as to whether any recording was found in this regard. He further said that there were many checkpoints in the federal capital, adding that his car was also being stopped like other vehicles, asking about the destination than why the displaying of banners was not stopped by the authorities concerned.

Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said that on last hearing Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt in compliance with the court order of May 26, 2014, submitted the reports of interior secretary and DG Intelligence Bureau (IB), stating that three persons namely Shafique Butt, Muhammad Nazar and Muhammad Waqar was being interrogated by the police after registering an FIR No234/14.

The attorney general however, sought time to investigate the matter after apprehending more accused of displaying anti-judiciary banners and posters in Islamabad and pledged that investigation would be completed as early as possible.

A series of massive intelligence failure

ISLAMABAD: The recent attack on the Karachi airport has raised serious question on the role and capabilities of intelligence agencies as the militants have ruthlessly struck at sensitive defence installations and killed some high profile people in recent years but no comprehensive national security plan has been chalked out as yet.

The last few years have seen unending violent incidents, which claimed not only thousands of civilian lives but included several attacks on some high profile individuals as well as sensitive places in the country, including the attack on the GHQ, naval bases, airbases, airports and intelligence agencies’ regional headquarters.

The attacks on high profile individuals included two unsuccessful attacks on former president Pervez Musharraf, former premier Benazir Bhutto, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig, Major Gen (retd) Ameer Faisal Alavi, former head of the SSG, Maj Gen Sanaullah Niazi, Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, Commandant Frontier Constabulary (FC) Sifwat Ghayur and many others.

The recent attack on the Karachi airport killing at least 28 people, including 10 terrorists, has once again raised question marks as who would protect and guard the strategic and sensitive installations. If we have a look at the timeline of attacks on some sensitive installations, then this presents a clear picture of our intelligence failure.

Similarly, at least 15 people, including 10 militants, were killed at the Bacha Khan International Airport on December 15, 2012 due to which the airport was shut down for 18 hours.

During the recent years, one of the major attacks by terrorists occurred on the Minhas Airbase, Kamra, on August 16, 2012. Then on May 22, 2011, the terrorists attacked the Pakistan Naval Base, Mehran, killing at least 17 people including security personnel. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan while claiming responsibility termed the attack revenge for the May 2011 US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

On March 12, 2010, two suicide bomb attacks in Lahore Cantonment area killed at least 45 people. While breaching the security of Pakistan’s most sensitive area i.e the General Headquarters (GHQ), at least 10 terrorists dressed in army uniforms attacked the GHQ in Rawalpindi on October 10, 2009. The TTP claimed responsibility for this attack too.

Similarly, at least 10 police recruits and a civilian were killed when terrorists attacked the Manawan Police Training School in Lahore on March 30, 2009.On December 4, 2008, at least 40 people were killed when terrorists attacked the Askari Mosque in Rawalpindi Cantonment. Besides 17 children, a major general was also among those killed.

The terrorists attacked Pakistan Army’s Surgeon General Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig near the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi on February 25, 2008.On August 21, 2008, over 70 people were killed when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the gate of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah Cantonment.

On December 27, 2007, the two-time prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a shooting and suicide bombing in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh, killing up to 20 others and injuring many more.

Similarly, a suicide bomber struck a police checkpoint in the high security zone of Rawalpindi, less than a kilometre from President Gen Musharraf’s Camp Office, on October 30, 2007, killing seven people. The blast also destroyed the check post of Gen Tariq Majid’s residence. General Tariq was then serving as the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

The list of attacks is long. However, each time the terrorists while breaching layers of security succeeded to target key and sensitive installations, it raised many questions not only in the minds of the people of Pakistan but even the international community expressed its concerns over such terrorism incidents.

Karachi attack worst example of security failure: Opposition

 

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) on Monday deplored the terrorist attack on the Karachi airport while the opposition expressed its dismay over the government’s silence on the terror bid and questioned the absence of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar from the House.
It demanded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif take the parliament into confidence on the matter and said the government and the opposition were on the same page for taking solid steps to formulate a policy against the terrorists.

The NA session resumed after a delay of two hours due to disturbance of flights schedule in Karachi. Members from both the sides unanimously condemned the terrorist attack on the Karachi airport and on the pilgrims in Taftan in Balochistan.

Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah said the terrorist attack on the Karachi airport was a “national security disaster”. He questioned the government’s silence on it and absence of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar from the NA.

Sheikh Rashid suspected involvement of a foreign hand in the incident and questioned who will benefit from the attacks on Pakistan. He questioned what benefit will the tribal people from North Waziristan gain from the attack. “If such an incident had happened in India, they would have brought their forces to (our) borders.”

Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch said the war against terrorism was a national war.

Khursheed Shah urged the prime minister to take the House into confidence in this regard. “We don’t speak out as we are afraid of being killed. Who will speak if we keep quiet,” he questioned.

The opposition leader said, “We will fight like a lion and make Pakistan a cradle of peace. How can the people of Pakistan feel safe when the government is itself confused?”

He said there was no response from the interior ministry to the incident, which shows that the concerned ministry was unaware of what was going on in Karachi. “It seems that the prime minister tried to find out the interior minister the whole night and he was able to find him on Monday morning. Then the prime minister sent the interior minister to Karachi,” he added.

He said the Taliban had accepted responsibility for the attack and the government was silent over it.

The opposition leader said all the political parties of the country authorised the government to do anything for peace eight months ago but the government had not taken parliament or the political leadership into confidence on the fate of the dialogue.

The opposition leader was of the view that even the Parliament House was not secure anymore as a few weeks back, Sikh protesters entered it and no one stopped them. He said it was time that the prime minister take the nation into confidence and explain which ministry was responsible for the attack – the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry or Aviation Division.

He said the PM’s adviser on aviation had reached Karachi on Sunday night but the interior minister was not able to reach there. He said by doing so, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar wanted to give a message to “someone” that he did not want to fight with anyone.

The opposition leader said he wanted to ask the question from all the institutions of the country that when pilgrims entered Iran, they were always safe but as soon as they returned home, they were attacked and martyred.

He said the parliamentarians’ phones were tapped, and their activities were monitored but “they” (those who tap phone calls) did not know about the terrorist attacks.

He said even they are more interested to know what TV channels the government was with and slogans were raised against those TV channels. “We are busy in such petty fights and nobody cares about the security of Pakistan,” he said.

Shah said if anyone wanted to live, then live like a lion rather than a jackal. “Pakistan belongs to all of us and all of us have to come forward to make our land safe and secure,” he added.

The opposition leader also appealed to the media not to telecast such incidents live as it will create a wrong impression.

PTI’s Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the government looked paralysed following the terrorist attack.

He said the interior minister should have rushed to Karachi on Sunday night. “The interior minister should have gone to Karachi after taking parliament into confidence,” he added.

Qureshi said Pakistanis wanted peace in the country and in the wake of terrorist attacks, the debate on budget was meaningless.

“When Karachi bleeds, how the finance minister can achieve the revenue target of Rs3.7 trillion which he proposed for the next fiscal year,” he added.

Ameer Zaman of the JUI-F extended support to the government to tackle the menace of terrorism.Abul Waseem of the MQM said the party was raising its voice against the Taliban in Karachi for long.

Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid strongly condemned the terrorist incidents in Karachi and Taftan.He paid tributes to the armed forces for bravely foiling the bid of terrorists. He said the interior minister had gone to Karachi to get details of the incident and will give a detailed statement in the House on Tuesday (today).

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir said today was a very sad day for the nation. He said the nation had to make a resolve to fight terrorism. He said the government will not compromise on its writ. “The government is clear that it will hold a dialogue with those who are ready for it,” he added.

He said the PML-N government had inherited terrorism. The House offered Fateha for those who lost their lives in Karachi and Taftan to terrorists on Sunday night.