RAWALPINDI/LAHORE: Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed says action will be taken within 72 hours against anyone using derogatory language against the Pakistan Army or other state institutions.
He was talking to media persons after his visit to Nadra office in Rawalpindi on Saturday. The minister said passport of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would expire on February 16, and it would not be renewed.
Shaikh Rashid said 200,000 online visa applications were received within one day after the announcement of online visa facility for 192 countries amid COVID-19 pandemic. He announced that strict action would be taken against those using derogatory language against the state institutions, and they would be prosecuted within 72 hours.
Shaikh Rashid said the case against Mufti Kifayatullah for remarks against military have been forwarded to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
The minister said computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of 200,000 illegal Afghan refugees have been blocked, while 1.5 million registered refugees were allowed to stay. He said 100,000 CNICs were being issued daily and those who apply for the first time would be issued CNICs within 15 days free of cost. He said 50 Nadra centres were providing services 24 hours a day.
Shaikh Rashid said 300 Nadra mobile vans were visiting far-flung areas for issuing CNICs to facilitate masses at their doorstep. He said Eagle Squad, equipped with latest technology, will soon be introduced for the security of Islamabad. He added that he has summoned a session of all inspector generals (IGs) of police tomorrow (Monday) to discuss strategy for better law and order situation.
Shaikh Rashid said the dream of opposition leaders to disturb routine life of the federal capital would not come true. The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan would never give NRO to opposition, adding that no compromise would be made on their corruption cases.
To a question, the minister said the resignations of party members of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were in lockers now. The said the opposition would neither boycott by-elections nor Senate polls, however, they could organise a long march and government was working on the strategy to deal them. He said the PDM would get response during the long march according to its actions.
“The PPP has won and the PDM has lost,” Shaikh Rashid said, adding that the PPP has forced the PDM to get on its knees.
In response to a question about the PPP chairman, Shaikh Rashid said Bilawal is sensible and has played his cards well. He said Bilawal will find a good path for himself. He said that a politician who does not keep the door of dialogue open is not intelligent.
Referring to PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the minister said the Maulana's stars are in circulation and his politics has turned upside down.
Reacting to Shaikh Rashid’s presser, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Shaikh Rashid will lose his ministry if arrest was made.
The Maulana reiterated that no dialogue was possible with the government unless the ’imposed’ prime minister resigned and fresh elections were announced.
Talking to media persons, the PDM president said it was impossible to negotiate with a ‘fake’ government imposed through ‘stolen’ elections, adding that PDM could hold talks only after the ‘selected’ PM had gone and fresh elections were in sight.
He told a questioner that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations of a conspiracy against him were baseless and an attempt to mislead the people, since the PDM was running the movement openly and its objectives were clear to the whole world.
To a question about treason case against a party leader for criticising the Army leadership, Fazl said if speaking against Army generals interfering in political affairs was punishable with treason then no other than prime minister and PTI government itself was to be dismissed within 72 hours. He said the PDM leadership had always respected the Army for offering countless sacrifices, but if the Army intervenes in politics and elections then criticism was bound to come. He said former president Pervez Musharraf was a public figure and people talked against him openly. He said if Nawaz Sharif is an absconder, then Musharraf is also an absconder, and asked what action is being taken against him.
Referring to the reports of banning Ansar-e-Islam, he said the move showed government confusion as it was unarmed force of a registered party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. Terming National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a vindictive body, the JUI-F chief said that such accountability was not acceptable. He said he doesn’t accept a law which doesn’t recognise his rights.
To a question about differences within the JUI-F ranks, he said that it was a process of reformation which should not be seen as disintegration.
