No holy cows, PM tells police

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday there are no sacred cows in the country and the police should not be afraid to take action against even him or any other minister.

The prime minister said this after inaugurating the newly established "Eagle Squad" of Islamabad Police comprising 100 motorcycle-bound officers. The Minister for Interior Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed briefed the premier about the squad as an extension of the Safe City Project. The government has allocated Rs300 million for the project. The premier, addressing the gathering, said rule of law prevails when everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. "The police's job is to enforce the law, and a country progresses when the police do their job," the prime minister said, clarifying that law enforcement does not mean to only send a poor man behind the bars.

Imran Khan said the police should show mercy to the people who earn daily wages and common people, and should take stern action against a powerful person when they break the law. "No country can have peace and prosperity where common citizens are dealt with a heavy hand by the law, while people in power get off easy," he said. "The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said that he would take action against his own daughter if she breaks the law [...] he warned his people that the nations before them were cursed as they did not take action against the powerful," the premier said.

The prime minister said he wanted the establishment of the rule of law in the country, as "might is right is the law of the jungle". "A human society is defined by the rule of law," he said. "We are not progressing [...] in the past, when a Pakistani president went to the US, his counterpart received him, when he went to UK, the queen gave him a reception, but we haven't been able to reach that point again as we have not taken action against the powerful people," he said.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan discussed the upcoming elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir with President Muslim Conference Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan, who called on him here. Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Organizer Saifullah Niazi and PTI General Secretary Amir Kayani were also present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed the upcoming elections in Azad Kashmir and it was decided that the two major political parties of Azad Kashmir (PTI and Muslim Conference) would participate in the elections in accordance with their respective manifestos.

However, it was noted there is complete agreement between the two parties on the Kashmir issue and in this regard both the parties will continue to work together to highlight the Kashmir issue.