PM asks terrorists to surrender as no option for talks

ISLAMABAD  -  Caretaker Prime Minis­ter Anwaar-ul-Haq Ka­kar on Monday warned terrorist groups in the country to make an “un­conditional surrender”, saying the State would not negotiate with them.

“The State will not show any leniency to­wards the terrorists who committed vio­lence and killed inno­cent citizens,” he said in an interaction with the families of martyrs here at the Interior Min­istry, where he earlier launched the country’s new visa policy.

PM Kakar categori­cally said that no per­son would be allowed to take the law into his hands, adding that only the State had the legiti­mate right to use armed power through its se­curity forces. “No one should have any doubt about the stance of the State against terrorists,” he said. “All organs of the State have the clar­ity to remain persistent against militancy.”

He said any damage incurred in the past by giving a lenient space to the militants would be mitigated.

The prime minister said if someone wanted to de­nounce terrorism must seek forgiveness from the families of the martyrs, who had paid the ultimate price. “We cannot compen­sate those who lost their loved ones, but can make a gesture to acknowledge and honour their invaluable sac­rifices,” he added. PM Kakar said the reward for the mar­tyrs’ souls rested with Allah Almighty, however, it was the responsibility of the so­ciety to honour them with a distinguished status. “I pay tribute to all the martyrs - an unending list of heroes from all segments of the society, including police, politicians, journalists, soldiers, and even children,” he said.

Earlier, at the launch of the new visa policy, the prime minister congratulated the Ministry of Interior on the achievement of a “good mile­stone”. He said the country needed to further rationalize its visa policy with the target of attracting investment.

“Unless we open up to the world, we cannot attract in­vestment and develop con­nectivity,” he said, adding that a country’s visa policy was the cornerstone of its economic roadmap.

The minister was briefed that the new visa policy in­cludes the introduction of in­vestor visas and the revision of the existing business visa category. The investor visa has been introduced in line with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) initiative. The hassle-free process allows visa approval within 24 hours with a short-term (1-3 years) and long-term entry visa (5 years).

The process requires min­imal documentation with the option of converting the entry business and inves­tor visa into a long-term in­vestor visa. The prime min­ister was informed that the business visa category was revised with the introduc­tion of SIFC Business Entry and its extension. The busi­ness visa will be issued in 24 hours for a six-month short-term entry visa and a five-year long-term visa.

The National and Database Registration Authority (NAD­RA) is managing the visa pro­cess and has also deployed its staff at the SIFC. The prime minister inaugurated a me­morial gallery where the pic­tures of martyrs were put on display. He mounted on the wall a photograph of Addi­tional Inspector General of Police Safwat Ghayur who was martyred by the terrorists.

He also visited the social media cell where he was giv­en a briefing about its func­tioning. Earlier, Interior Min­ister Sarfraz Bugti received PM Kakar on his arrival at the Ministry of Interior. A contingent of the Islamabad Police presented a salute and guard of honour to the prime minister. The family mem­bers of the martyrs, includ­ing veteran politician Mian Iftikhar Hussain, whose son was martyred by the terror­ists, expressed gratitude to the caretaker government for recognizing the sacrifices of the martyred heroes.

PM MEETING PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN

Meanwhile, the PM met with prominent industrial­ists and businessmen of Ka­rachi in Islamabad.

On the occasion, he said the government is taking ev­ery possible step for the pro­motion of industry and trade.

The Prime Minister ac­knowledged the crucial role of industrialists and the busi­ness community in the coun­try’s progress and prosperi­ty. The meeting is part of the Prime Minister’s consulta­tions with industrialists and traders initiated during his Karachi visit. The Prime Min­ister directed the concerned authorities to introduce com­petitive electricity rates for industries to benefit the com­mon man. The Prime Minister said the government is taking steps to increase the tax net, but the role of the business com­munity is crucial in this regard. He urged the business com­munity to support the govern­ment in expanding the tax net. The Prime Minister further said that the government is work­ing on the agenda of institution­al reforms for the welfare of the people and the recovery of the economy. The delegation of the business community expressed satisfaction over the measures taken to prevent smuggling, electricity theft, and the res­toration of the economy. The delegation includes Chairman Businessmen Group Zubeir Motiwala, Chief Coordinator In­dustrial Forum Muhammad Ja­ved Bilwani, Patron-in-Chief Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry Masood Ismail, Former Chairman All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Associ­ation Saleem Parekh, Patron in Chief Association of Trade and Industry Ben Qasim, and Pres­ident North Karachi Associa­tion of Trade and Industry Fais­al Moez.