PTI run malicious campaign against Army Chief General Asim Munir from official website.  Federal cabinet defers decision to discuss possible ban on PTI n Calls for war crimes proceedings against Israel.  Approves online visa system for 126 countries.

ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday denounced the terror attacks in Pakistan involving Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) using Afghan soil saying that was “unacceptable” as Pakistan was fully prepared to protect its citizens but desired to resolve the matter peacefully.

The prime minister, in his remarks at the meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by him, pointed out the surge in terror incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan causing the killing of the personnel of the army, police and civil armed forces.

He called the terrorism wave a machination against Pakistan as it was taking place at a time when the coalition government was making efforts for the country’s development as it reached a Staff Level Agreement with IMF despite challenges and announced a three-month relief package for 96% of domestic power consumers.

Highlighting the role of Afghanistan in the surged wave of terrorism, the prime minister said the government was in interaction with them as Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also visited there.

“But how is it possible that we hosted millions of their people here without any complaint? We treated them like our brothers and never considered them as a burden. But we were rewarded in the form of TTP attacks on our citizens to mar the country’s peace and business. This is not acceptable,” he remarked.

He said Pakistan is ready to face any kind of situation as its valiant armed forces had sacrificed their lives to safeguard the country and its people. Pakistan is ready to protect its citizens, he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also highlighted that the perpetrators of the May 9 riots, who had also attacked parliament, PTV and besieged the PM House in the past, had resorted to new tactics to malign the country and its armed forces as a malicious campaign was run against Army Chief General Asim Munir from the official website of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

“We will not tolerate any such steps against the country, its innocent people, and armed forces,” he said and called for national unity to protect the national interest. The prime minister apprised the members of a decision to abolish the visa fees for 126 countries as a “quantum jump” to bring ease of doing business and attract businessmen, tourists and travelers to Pakistan. The decision, made after a threadbare discussion, would be tabled before the cabinet for its consideration, he added.

He said the deficiency of the visa fees would be made up by foreign exchange earned through investment and tourism, including religious tourism of which Pakistan has immense potential.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the visitors would get visas within 24 hours through the electronic travel authorization form. Besides, the E-gates would be established at Gwadar Port and nine airports - initially in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports.

The prime minister strongly condemned the unprecedented human rights abuses of Israel against Palestinians as around 40,000 Palestinians had been killed including thousands of children and women.

He said despite the resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council and UN General Assembly and the decision by the International Court of Justice, Israel was not budging from its oppression which was highly condemnable.

The prime minister drew attention to the attacks on Pakistan’s missions in Germany and London. He said the Foreign Office had timely taken up the matter and that the envoys of the countries concerned should be given demarches to seek the protection of Pakistan’s missions.

According to official sources the cabinet deferred the decision to discuss a possible ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and implement Article 6 against three of its leaders. The government will consult with coalition partners particularly the Pakistan Peoples Party before making final decision, they added.

Meanwhile, the federal cabinet on Wednesday, adopted a resolution reiterating support for the Palestinians, condemning Israel acts of barbarity and called for initiation of war crimes proceedings.

Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said Israel’s continuing barbaric acts in Palestine had been unprecedented in the human history as it was targeting the innocent citizens including children and women in Gaza and rest of other Palestinian areas.

The prime minister said that during Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and SCO plus summits in Astana, he had raised a strong voice for the rights of the oppressed people of Palestine.

He stressed for resolution of Palestine issue in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister also strongly condemned an attack and vandalism of national flag at Pakistan’s Mission in Frankfurt, Germany and said that elements involved in such act should face strict legal action.

He also condemned the recent incidents of terrorism in the country and paid tribute to the personnel of security forces who laid down their lives in these incidents. The prime minister prayed for the high ranks of the shuhada in Jannah.

“The federal cabinet, in its meeting, approved enforcement of online visa application system for the citizens of 126 countries aimed at promotion of business and investment activities and tourism sector. Under the system, the citizens of these 126 countries would get business and tourist visas within 24 hours and would be exempted from paying free visa processing fee,” the press release in Urdu text said.

Moreover, for the facilitation of Sikh Yatrees having passports of third country, the cabinet approved separate sub-category in visa on arrival facility. For this purpose, a dashboard would be introduced at ministry of interior to supervise the online visa system.

The federal cabinet, on the recommendations of Islamabad, Balochistan, Sindh, Lahore and Peshawar High Courts and ministry of law and justice, also granted its approval to notifying special courts and banking courts with regard to banking cases.

These included establishments of Special Court on Offences in Banks at Islamabad under Section 37 of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Act 1997, Special Court on Offences in Banks at Quetta and similar Special Courts at Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar, the latter would be set up as Banking Court-1 Peshawar. These special and banking courts would function under Security Exchange Commission.

The cabinet also gave a go ahead to signing of MoU between Pakistan and Denmark for promotion of public private partnership over logistics, transport, green and sustainable growth, water waste management, urban green development, alternate energy and construction of basic infrastructure.   

The earlier resolution passed by the cabinet in support of Palestinians and shared by PM Office Media Wing in Urdu language, said till October 7, 2023 more than 39,000 Palestinians had been martyred due to barbarity of Israel. Human populations, hospitals, schools, UN and media offices, workers and media people, none among them were safe from indiscriminate bombing, firing and killing spree. The Palestinians areas had turned into graveyard and heaps of destruction. Such a precedent of barbarity, cruelty and brutality was unmatched in the recent history.

Mere condemnation of Israeli acts of cruelty and aggression was not suffice as despite ICJ’s decisions, UN resolutions, demands of human rights bodies, institutions and protests by the civilized people of the world, these acts of brutalities continued unabated, it was added.

The resolution further demanded of the international community and institutions to impose embargoes upon Israel for its war crimes besides, initiation of other legal, diplomatic and administrative measures. A berserk state should be made to abide by the international and rights laws and stop spilling of blood of innocent Palestinians otherwise, the conflict could be widened, it cautioned.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had already declared Israeli presence in Palestinian areas as illegal and termed Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas as violation of the international laws. The ICJ should also order compensation to the Palestinians for such scale of destruction, it was asserted.

Islamic Republic of Pakistan also urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as joint voice of the Muslim states, to renew its efforts for the joint and unanimous efforts and mull over formulation of a joint strategy in this regard.

The federal cabinet also appreciated and fully supported SCO for adopting a clear and solid stance in support of Palestine, in its summit held on July 4.

The cabinet demanded of the international community to make Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity and bringing it to face court of justice. The ICJ had declared Israeli brutalities as genocide of Palestinians.

It further stressed upon the global community to accelerate its efforts to ensure ceasefire and supply of human assistance in Gaza. The resolution also reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued support to freedom of people of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and their legitimate rights as enshrined in the UN resolutions and the international laws.

The cabinet stressed for increased efforts at provision of necessary goods including food stuff to Palestinians. “Pakistan, once again, stresses upon the UN and global community to take immediate steps for the resolution of lingering disputes of the regions. Renewed efforts should be made for the establishment of free Palestine state with Al Quds Al Shareef as its Capital on pre-1967 borders, and for the two-state solution,” the press release in Urdu text quoted a part of the resolution.