Those speaking against Pakistan won’t be forgiven: PM

President, PM, COAS, Bilawal, Imran, Pervaiz others condemn Karachi incidents; Gen Raheel directs DG Rangers to bring channels’ attackers to book; Dar says govt in contact with UK

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on late Monday evening issued a statement regarding the narrations against Pakistan earlier in Karachi. “The statements in question have hurt me and every Pakistani since they injured our feelings badly,” he said.

The prime minister, in the emotional statement, said: “We wouldn’t allow anyone to harm the security of the motherland and its prestige. We were born from this soil and we are bound to return to it. The safeguarding of its borders and protection of its prestigious is our sacred duty and essential to us.” 

Nawaz Sharif reminded that Pakistan is our home and we know how to defend its honour. “We cannot hear anything adverse to Pakistan and we will not forgive those who have spoken against Pakistan. Every word uttered against Pakistan would be taken into account and narrators will have to give account of it,” the prime minister reiterated.

Earlier in the day, President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, political leaders and people from other walks of life strongly condemned the attacks on private TV channels’ offices in Karachi by Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers. 

The president and prime minister condemned the attack on Samaa, ARY and Neo television channels offices. “It is an attack on freedom of press and expression,” the prime minister said, according to a statement issued from the PM’s Office here.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned at the federal and provincial levels to bring the culprits to task on immediate basis. While directing the authorities concerned to ensure safety and security of the civilians in general and journalists in particular, he also sought a report on the incident.

In a separate statement, President Mamnoon said it was an attack on the freedom of press and expression as well as an attempt to vitiate peaceful atmosphere in the provincial metropolis.

He said such incidents would not be tolerated and the freedom of media would be ensured. All necessary security would be provided to media-persons to enable them to perform their professional duties, he added.

COAS General Raheel Sharif, meanwhile, directed the Director General (DG) Sindh Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar to maintain peace in Karachi at any cost. According to INP, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Army Chief General Raheel telephoned DG Rangers on Monday shortly after workers of a political party besieged office of private TV channels in Karachi.

The army chief directed Major Bilal to bring the miscreants who created unrest in the port city to book. The DG Sindh Rangers later said that action would be taken against the elements who had attacked media housesi.

Talking to a private television, he said COAS General Raheel Sharif had directed the Rangers to restore peace in the metropolitan. The Rangers personnel, he said, rushed to trouble spot using motorcycles and on foot and managed to control the situation.

Traffic was also restored in the city he said. The DG Rangers said the force would remain alert today (Tuesday). Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the attacks on media houses in Karachi.

In a press statement, Bilawal said that the PPP believes in freedom of expression. “Pakistan People's Party and journalist community worked long and scarified for this democratic right, everyone should enjoy this right." He said that the attack on television channels in Karachi is a condemnable act.

The PPP chairman said that difference of opinion is factor of a society and should have to respect it. Bilawal expressed solidarity with the journalist community and said that an independent media is surety of strong democracy. He said that only a strong democracy can fight against terrorism. “We condemn the attacks on the freedom of press, be it by political party, religious groups or the state itself.”

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, meanwhile, said that any Quetta-like incident could have taken place in Karachi during the violent incidents in the city on Monday. Talking to newsmen after visiting the offices of TV channels that came under attack, the Sindh CM said that the attack and acts of vandalism at the offices of TV channels in the city were in fact part of a well thought-out plan of the terrorists.

He said that during such violent incidents in the city, there could be a replay of Quetta like tragic incident in the city. He said that police and Rangers had acted in a timely fashion to prevent occurrence of any major untoward incident.

“We are with our friends of media. We condemn this incident while we would provide every sort of protection to them [media persons],” he said.  He said that people involved in the violent incidents in the city would be taken to task on stern basis.

To a question that violent incidents in the city happened after he had met the MQM’s delegation and whether he would continue with such meetings in future also, the CM said that after this incident he had talked to Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izjharul Hassan who had said that due action should be taken against the elements who had been resorting to violence in the city.

To another question, he said that police should be allowed to do its work. To the question that MQM had announced to encircle the CM House and Rangers Headquarters on Tuesday, the CM said that he would see to such people once they reached these places.

Also talking on the occasion, Sindh CM’s Information Adviser Moula Bakhsh Chandio said that attack on the offices of TV channels was a highly condemnable and sorrowful incident. He said that it would be incorrect to say that the government had not acted on the issue in a timely fashion. He said the Sindh CM had immediately ordered action against miscreants as and when violent incidents took place. 

He said that due lawful action would continue to take place against the elements involved in vandalism and violence in the city as punitive action would be taken against them. While doing political negotiations was another matter as this issue would be dealt with separately, said Sindh CM’s advisor. 

He said that personnel of police and Rangers had been deployed at offices of media. He said the government would take measures to ensure protection to the lives of both general citizens and journalists alike.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan condemned the attack on news channels and expressed concern over a leader of a political leader instigating his workers for violence.

In a statement issued here, Imran said that the nation had already rejected the political based on coercion and violence. “Masses have rejected the politicians, playing the politics of stick and gun,” he maintained.

He expressed complete solidarity with the channels’ administration and urged the government to ensure security of the media houses involving the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Interior instead of make false promises.

The Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, expressed his dismay over the violence as he had made efforts for talks with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and a Sindh government delegation met under the leadership of Nisar Khuro.

Durrani demanded that peace be ensured in the city. Meanwhile, KUJ-D leaders visited the attacked media houses and demanded strict action against perpetrators of the crime against media workers.

Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid also strongly condemned attacks on the media houses in Karachi.

The minister, in a statement, said the present democratic government believes in freedom of expression and would never tolerate any attack on independence of the media.

Attacking any news channel is tantamount to attack on freedom of media and people's right to be informed, which was a pre-requisite for any democratic society, he added.

The provincial government, he said, must take an immediate cognisance of the incident to ensure the safety and security of media persons and houses.

The information minister will visit Karachi today (Tuesday) to get firsthand information about the attack on media houses.

The purpose of the minister’s visit is to express complete solidarity with media houses attacked during violence in the port city, an official spokesman said.

Minister for Finance Revenue and Economic Affairs Senator Ishaq Dar said the federal and provincial governments would initiate action as per law against the perpetrators of Karachi incident.

“The details I have seen about the acts of violence manifest that it was like an attack against the state of Pakistan and both the federal and provincial governments will take action against the perpetrators under the law, he said talking in a private news channel programme.

Dar said it was a matter of Pakistan and all the parties would have to keep their differences aside to protect its solidarity and integrity.

He said a government could pursue the policy of reconciliation for the betterment of the country but no compromise could be made when it was the matter of national integrity and solidarity.

“We have to protect our institutions, Parliament and democracy, and wherever anything unlawful and unconstitutional is committed action will be taken.

Answering a question, Ishaq Dar said the Interior Ministry was also in contact with the British government on a number of issues.

He described the Karachi incident as a conspiracy against Pakistan as the whole world was predicting it as an emerging economy as investors were coming to the country after start of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Meanwhile, President of National Press Club Shakeel Anjum has strongly condemned the attack over the media houses and stated: “If the government failed to arrest the perpetrators of the incidents then we will launch country-wide protest.”

In his message from National Press Club Islamabad, he demanded the Sindh government to immediately should take strong measures for the arrest of attackers and to provide proper security to the media houses. He marked this brutal and terrorist attack against the freedom of expression granted by the constitution of Pakistan and international conventions. He said the perpetual attacks over media houses and journalists in all over Pakistan and particularly in Karachi are evidences that journalists are not safe in this country. He said the government must immediately provide security to media houses and make sure arrest of attackers. He demanded the deployment of Rangers for the security of media houses in Karachi.