Kaira defends operation, criticises PTI over talks with militants

LALAMUSA: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, defended the operation against militant elements, stating that military action is never a choice made out of desire but rather out of necessity.

Speaking to the media, Kaira questioned the rationale behind continued dialogue with groups that resort to violence against the state, attacking security forces and civilians. “How much more should we talk to those elements who take up arms against the state, army, police, and the people, causing damage to their lives and property?” he asked.

Kaira criticised former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI, questioning why Khan engaged with armed groups in the past. He asked, “How many more favours should be given to these elements?”

Kaira urged national unity in the face of the ongoing security threats, emphasising that if the state has decided to take action, the entire nation should stand with it. Addressing PTI’s recent calls for negotiations with militant elements, he challenged the party to take a direct approach. “If any party or group believes that negotiations should be held with these elements, instead of giving this opinion to the government, they should experience it themselves. If the PTI believes in negotiations, they should go and meet the Taliban representatives and ask them what demands they want to put forward while remaining within the constitution of Pakistan and abiding by the law.” The PPP leader also criticised political strategies that he claimed undermined state authority. He referenced past instances where the government attempted to accommodate disruptive elements in the name of dialogue. “There are examples in the past where the government listened to the narrative of a group in Pakistan that tried to disrupt the peace and order situation in the name of protest and tried to provide relief to it. This method cannot work anymore because this is not how societies and states are run,” he remarked. “Now we will have to run the state according to the law, not according to the will and pressure of the people.”

Kaira expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of its agreement with the PPP post-February 2024 elections, noting that the party’s concerns remain unaddressed. “The PPP has filed a protest against this,” he confirmed.