Masses can’t be left at mercy of armed militias

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan Saturday warned that no one would be allowed to exploit people under the garb of religion, claiming that the rivals were confused about whether to hold a march or stage sit-in.

Speaking at a news conference, she clarified that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s meeting with the Ulema on Friday had nothing to do with the JUI-F’s Azadi March.

She said religious scholars were present in the meeting, while Mufti Taqi Usmani was with the Kashmir narrative.

She said the successors of those who had opposed the creation of Pakistan today wanted to destabilise the country through unrest and anarchy.

“At that time, Pakistan finally came into being, and it will achieve stability and all the economic indicators today testify to the fact,” she pointed out.

Dr. Awan maintained that the government was not going to take away the right to protest being the constitutional right of everyone and then asked had anyone ever formed an armed militia for this purpose.

She said growers, doctors and journalists had been holding protests but they never resorted to such an ‘extreme move’.

She declared in categorical terms that there could never be allowed a state within the state, indirectly referring to the JUI-F’s baton-totting force, viral on the social media and images also carried on electronic and print media.

While there was hullabaloo going on somewhere, she noted, the respective provincial governments were also making preparations accordingly.

“The masses could not be left at the mercy of such armed ‘militias’ (jathay),” she emphasised.

When her attention was drawn towards the JUI-F’s preparations and parades by its activists, she contended that there could be no reaction before action and said still they were holding parades inside walls and uploading it on the social media.

On Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s criticism of the government’s economic policies and claims on this count, she said a person on Friday was talking about economy and claiming to turn it around in six months adding that they were responsible for the bad shape of economy and were again trying to befool people, who were no more ready to fall to their trap.

Referring to the statistics shared by the prime minister on his twitter account, Firdous said these would dampen the opposition, adding that all economic indicators were positive and with them were linked building of houses and creation of jobs.

She said the government was fighting on the FATF front, while the rivals faced defeat despite their repeated attempts to see Pakistan placed on the black list.

Referring to Friday’s meeting, she said Prime Minister Imran Khan while taking strict notice of rising inflation had directed the authorities concerned to bring the flour price down.

She noted that the prime minister had also expressed anger over increase in the price of sugar and directed strict action against the profiteers and hoarders besides seeking suggestions from various ministries to bring the prices of essential items down.

Firdous said flour price had increased in Sindh as the provincial government did not purchase wheat on time. She said the prime minister had directed release of 100,000 ton wheat for Sindh.

She said the prime minister while chairing another meeting directed preparation of database of Evacuee Trust Property Board’s properties in order to make their best utilization.

She explained that the federal and provincial governments would work together to devise a strategy regarding the Auqaf properties after a meeting on the subject was held by prime minister on Friday.

Dr Awan pointed out that the income of Muslim shrines would be used for facilitation of visitors.

In a number of tweets, she said public meetings being arranged and addressed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari using official resources of Sindh government did not manifest public sentiments.

She said the masses had rejected Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s narrative of targeting the national institutions through the power of vote two days ago.

“Our institutions are our pride and guarantors of our security and defence”.

Firdous wondered as to which masters those, who were influenced by the anti-Pakistan narrative, were trying to appease through their irresponsible statements.

She said if Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had any concerns for the country and the state, he would not have given irresponsible statements.