LAHORE - Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Friday urged the US administration to review its hostile policy towards Pakistan to end terrorism from the world.
Addressing a press conference here, Dr Qadri said that any action against Pakistan would be tantamount to supporting terrorists. He asked the US to recognise Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror and support its efforts to eliminate terrorism. “Pakistan has experienced 100 mini nine elevens (9/11s) in the last fifteen years that cost it over 70,000 lives and caused a financial loss amounting to billions of rupees,” he said, adding that Pakistan was the only country in the world whose military was utilising more than 75 per cent of its resources to eliminate terrorism. He said that US think-tanks must reconsider their policy towards Pakistan, a country which rendered sacrifices more than any other country in the world.
Dr Qadri took exception to President Donald Trump’s statement, saying that Pakistan was an independent and responsible country and no one could dare threaten it. The PAT chief criticised the US for putting Pakistan on the watch list of countries which don’t have religious freedom. He said all religious communities in Pakistan were free to practice their religion.
Qadri affirmed that all state institutions must enhance their diplomatic efforts to make the world recognise the sacrifices Pakistan had rendered in the war against terrorism.
Replying to a question, he said that protecting the interests of the state and the country was more important than any kind of politics.
Answering another question, he said that steering committee of the all-party conference would meet on January 8 to decide the future line of action on the Model Town incident.
