Caretaker premier says entire PTI should not be punished for May 9 mayhem
\nislamabad
\nWith general elections almost a month away, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haque Kakar has said that he is aware if it has been decided to bring the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) into power.
\nHis remarks came amid allegations of \u201cpreferential treatment\u201d to the PML-N in the run-up to the February 8 general elections by the mainstream political parties.
\nMajor parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have been repeatedly accusing that efforts are underway to make the PML-N supremo prime minister for the fourth time.
\nPM Kakar, while speaking on Geo News programme \u201cAik Din Geo Kay Sath\u201d on Sunday, said: \u201cPolitical behaviour requires wisdom, which seems to be lacking.\u201d
\nWhen asked if there had been any move to bring the PML-N into power, the premier replied: \u201cTo my knowledge, there is no such thing.\u201d
\nHe went on to say that the people would have known about the \u201cdecision\u201d by the morning of February 9 \u2014 the next day of the general election. At the same time, the interim prime minister expressed hope that the election results would end the \u201cuncertainty\u201d.
\nStressing the need to hold masterminds of the May 9 riots accountable, he said that the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should not be punished for the incident.
\nThe day when violence was triggered almost across the country soon after deposed prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s arrest in the \u00a3190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.
\nDuring the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including \u2014 Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 \u201cBlack Day\u201d and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
\n\u201cAction should be taken against those responsible for the May 9 incident,\u201d the premier added.
\nResponding to a question, PM Kakar said that the government did not have any intention to treat the entire PTI as an \u201cenemy\u201d.
\nHe further said that the investigations of different institutions in this regard were underway, adding that the probe would be shared with the nation via the military\u2019s media wing \u2014 the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) \u2014 once it was completed.
\nWhen asked if he believes that the PTI founder is personally involved in the May 9 mayhem, the premier said: \u201cI don\u2019t have any information yet to form an opinion on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Replying to a question if they are ready to transfer the government to the PTI in case the party wins the upcoming elections, he said: \u201cWhether we are ready or not, the people have to decide about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further said that the caretaker set-up had not any other option but to transfer the government. The prime minister clarified that they did not have any personal issues with any political party.<\/p>\n
\u2018Not necessary to attribute Akbar Bugti with treason\u2019
\nPM Kakar also spoke about influential Balochistan personalities including Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Akbar Bugti.<\/p>\n
He said Bizenjo was his grandfather\u2019s class fellow and they had close family ties with his family for three generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo had his own standing, No one considered or called him a traitor,\u201d he said, adding that no such opinion existed about Mengal.<\/p>\n
The caretaker premier, however, said that the case of Bugti was a bit different. \u201cUnfortunately, his [Bugti] death took place in a situation when he and the state came face to face armed. Not necessary to attribute him to the title of treason.\u201d <\/p>\n
He further said that it was true that Bugti\u2019s death occurred in violent circumstances.<\/p>\n
When asked about his views on whether the state\u2019s decision to target an old individual like Bugti was right or wrong, he said: \u201cThere are a lot of instances when people regret the time when they chose the path of violence. It could be on both sides including the state. This question could have been put like this as well whether it was right to lead an armed struggle in this age.\u201d<\/p>\n
PM Kakar also said that in his opinion both parties should think about this issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sanctity of the state is anyway a lot bigger than individuals,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Recalling the death of Bugti, the premier underscored that multiple Pakistan army soldiers including Lieutenant Colonel and Major rank officers were also martyred in the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, what should I say about who among them died rightly and who died wrongly? They were fighting while in uniform [of Pakistan Army], what their relatives and loved ones be told as to who were they fighting for?\u201d questioned the caretaker PM.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis [issue] is a complex one,\u201d he added while highlighting that there\u2019s an uproar when people belonging to the political movement are killed.<\/p>\n
Armed struggle in Balochistan
\nAddressing the issue of Baloch separatists residing abroad, he said that Brahumdagh Bugti considers the armed struggle to achieve the goal a legitimate means to an independent Baloch state.<\/p>\n
Let history decide whether to call him a traitor or not, he added.<\/p>\n
Responding to a question regarding a conciliatory approach towards past separatist movements, the prime minister lamented that such people once again revert to the same tactics despite pacification by the state.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The question] whether there should be reconciliation [with separatist elements] or not is something to think about […] the state has to learn some lesson,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Responding to a question about his remarks about Baloch missing persons that sparked outrage, the caretaker prime minister said that most of the time \u201cour statements are misconstrued\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one threw anyone down from a helicopter, it is just cheap propaganda,\u201d he said, however, adding that several allegations have been levelled in the case of missing persons.<\/p>\n
PM Kakar said that he believes the issue should be resolved phase by phase on a grassroots level.<\/p>\n
He added that some armed organisations in Balochistan believe in violence and that armed struggle is the right way to change the geography.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the base of the issue but several factions of the society including political parties are in a denial mode and keep linking this with human rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The premier said that it has to be determined first if a group is allowed to lead an armed struggle or have a militia. The Constitution doesn\u2019t allow this, he added.<\/p>\n
Do the human rights organisations, intelligentsia or media want this section of the Constitution to be struck down or it should be implemented, he asked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Caretaker premier says entire PTI should not be punished for May 9 mayhem islamabad With general elections almost a month away, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haque Kakar has said that he is aware if it has been decided to bring the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) into power. His remarks came amid allegations of \u201cpreferential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":372178,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-379290","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n