Imran should put his own house in order: Ahsan Iqbal

PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that Imran Khan should put his own house in order instead of raising fingers at others.

He remarked that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should ponder why its whole stable was on sale in the Senate election.

“Instead of teaching the lesson of morality to others, the PTI chief should tell the nation as to how the market of horse-trading was established at his home,” he argued.

Talking to members of the media after inaugurating the newly-constructed apartments at FC Headquarters here, he said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PNL-N) condemned the politics of horse-trading and would support any move to make legislation for blocking such negative trends in politics.

“The PML-N government eradicated terrorism, restored peace and economy, controlled the energy crisis and put the country on way to progress during the last four and a half years but even then an unholy alliance has been formed against the party,” he pointed out.

He hinted at upgrading Frontier Constabulary (FC) as Pakistan Constabulary, saying that the government is planning to strengthen the civil armed forces and for this purpose a special package would be prepared and approved from the National Security Council (NSC). The minister said that peace was prerequisite for development and this was the reason steps were being taken to strengthen the security forces by providing them latest equipment and facilities.

He maintained that due to successful military operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fasad, peace had been restored and international investors were coming to Pakistan. He said political stability and continuation of policies was needed for a stable economy. He added that Pakistan is now an emerging economy.

Lauding the role of Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary (FC), he said efforts were being made to further enhance their capabilities by raising new wings for strengthening border security. He said that the 25th batch of 600 FC jawans has passed out after completing their training successfully.

He said the western border is being fenced to avoid entry of terrorists and secure Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and the country as a whole. More allocations would be made in the budget for fencing the border as it is directly linked to Pakistan’s security, he added.

To a question, Ahsan Iqbal said peace in Afghanistan was necessary for Pakistan as the instability in the neighbouring country had direct impact on Pakistan.

“Military action is not a solution to the situation in Afghanistan and negotiations with warring groups are the best way for lasting peace,” he said, adding, Pakistan would play its due role in finding a negotiated settlement to the Afghan problem.

“Peace in Afghanistan is impossible until Pakistan is taken into confidence by all the stakeholders and India’s influence is reduced in the country,” he maintained.

Earlier, the interior minister formally opened the newly constructed 32 flats at the FC Headquarters. He said that healthcare facilities would also be enhanced by establishing hospitals for the Frontier Constabulary.

APP Adds: Earlier, the Interior Minister addressed the passing out parade of 25th batch of Frontier Corps KP recruits at FC Training Academy at Warsak.

Ahsan Iqbal said the country has been put on the road to economic progress and development after significant improvement in the law and order situation owing to the government’s effective policies and sacrifices of law- enforcement agencies. He stated that the role of Frontier Corps in establishment of the state’s writ in the restive areas was highly commendable.

The interior minister said the civil and military leadership have taken unanimous and bold decisions that proved very fruitful in establishing peace in the country to a great extent. “Pakistan is progressing with each passing day and the confidence of foreign investors was restored after launching of CPEC,” he claimed.

He said Pakistan was on course to join the club of 25 countries with the most developed economies by year 2025 as a result of the opportunities created by CPEC. He termed CPEC a gift by PML-N government for people of Pakistan.