Not aware if PML-N going to win or Imran involved in May 9 riots: PM

ISLAMABAD: With the general elections almost a month away, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haque Kakar has said he is unaware if it has been decided to bring the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) into power.

His remarks came amid allegations of “preferential treatment” to the PMLN in the run-up to the February 8 general elections by the mainstream political parties.

When asked if PTI founder Imran Khan was involved in May 9 violence, the PM said he had no such information that he could make an opinion as it was a judicial process. Intelligence reports are a different thing, he said, adding these reports cannot become basis of deciding about someone’s guilt or innocence.

Major parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have been repeatedly accusing that efforts are underway to make the PMLN supremo prime minister for the fourth time.

PM Kakar, speaking on Geo News programme “Aik Din Geo Kay Sath” hosted by Sohail Warraich on Sunday, said: “Political behaviour requires wisdom, which seems to be lacking.”

When asked if there had been any move to bring the PMLN into power, the premier replied, “To my knowledge, there is no such thing.”

He went on to say the people would have known about the “decision” by the morning of February 9 — the next day of the general election. At the same time, the interim prime minister expressed the hope that the election results would end the “uncertainty”.

Stressing the need to hold masterminds of the May 9 riots accountable, he said the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should not be punished for the incident. “Action should be taken against those responsible, not the entire party, for the May 9 incident,” the premier added.

Responding to a question, PM Kakar said the government did not have any intention to treat the entire PTI as an “enemy”.

He further said investigations of different institutions in this regard were underway, adding the probe would be shared with the nation via the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) once it was completed.

When asked if he believes that the PTI founder is personally involved in the May 9 mayhem, the premier said, “I don’t have any information yet to form an opinion on this.”

Replying to a question if they are ready to transfer the government to the PTI in case the party wins the upcoming elections, he said, “Whether we are ready or not, the people have to decide about it.”

He further said the caretaker setup had not any other option but to transfer the government. The prime minister clarified that they did not have any personal issues with any political party.

PM Kakar also spoke about influential Balochistan personalities, including Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Akbar Bugti.

He said Bizenjo was his grandfather’s classmate and they had close family ties with his family for three generations.

“Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo had his own standing. No one considered or called him a traitor,” he said, adding that no such opinion existed about Mengal.

The caretaker premier, however, said that the case of Bugti was a bit different. “Unfortunately, his [Bugti] death took place in a situation when he and the state came face to face armed. Not necessary to attribute to him the title of treason.” He further said that it was true that Bugti’s death occurred in violent circumstances.

When asked about his views on whether the state’s decision to target an old individual like Bugti was right or wrong, he said, “There are a lot of instances when people regret the time when they chose the path of violence. It could be on both sides including the state. This question could have been put like this as well whether it was right to lead an armed struggle in this age.”

PM Kakar also said that in his opinion both parties should think about this issue. “The sanctity of the state is anyway a lot bigger than individuals,” he added.

Recalling the death of Bugti, the premier underscored that multiple Pakistan Army soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel and Major rank officers, were also martyred in the incident.

“Now, what should I say about who among them died rightly and who died wrongly. They were fighting while in uniform, what their relatives and loved ones be told as to who were they fighting for?” questioned the caretaker PM.

“This [issue] is a complex one,” he added while highlighting that there’s an uproar when people belonging to the political movement are killed.

Addressing the issue of Baloch separatists residing abroad, he said that Brahumdagh Bugti considers the armed struggle to achieve the goal a legitimate means to an independent Baloch state. Let history decide whether to call him a traitor or not, he added.

Responding to a question regarding a conciliatory approach towards the past separatist movements, the prime minister lamented that such people once again revert to the same tactics despite pacification by the state.

“[The question] whether there should be reconciliation [with separatist elements] or not is something to think about [...] the state has to learn some lesson,” he stressed.

Responding to a question about his remarks about Baloch missing persons that sparked an outrage, the caretaker prime minister said that most of the time “our statements are misconstrued”.

“No one threw anyone down from a helicopter, it is just cheap propaganda,” he said, however, adding that several allegations have been levelled in the case of missing persons. PM Kakar said that he believes the issue should be resolved phase by phase on a grassroot level. He added that some armed organisations in Balochistan believe in violence and that armed struggle is the right way to change the geography. “This is the base of the issue but several factions of the society including political parties are in a denial mode and keep linking this with human rights,” he said. The premier said that it has to be determined first if a group is allowed to lead an armed struggle or have a militia. The Constitution doesn’t allow this, he added. Do the human rights organisations, intelligentsia or media want this section of the Constitution to be struck down or it should be implemented, he asked.