ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday lambasted PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for criticizing the Pakistan Army in his speeches and said that it was an irony that a person who was a product of “military’s nursery” was now speaking ill against the “same army.” Addressing a press conference here at the Ministry of Interior, the minister said that no one was familiar with the former prime minister till former Governor Punjab General (retd) Ghulam Jilani Khan had introduced him in politics.
“Nawaz Sharif has only one agenda, and that is anti-army, anti-establishment and anti (Prime Minister) Imran Khan and he can go to any length to achieve it.” He stressed that Sharif would not come to power during his remaining life.
Referring to the recent meeting of Nawaz with Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib, Sheikh Rashid said that he used to extend friendships with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal. He said that the PTI government was ready to help Sharif if he was desperate to come back from London to Pakistan and would provide him a chartered plane. He should come and face the corruption cases, he also said.
Says Nawaz a product of ‘military’s nursery’ now speaking ill against army
He warned that the former PM should avoid delivering speeches that are “anti-state, anti-army and anti (PM) Imran Khan.”
The interior minister remarked that he already had been claiming that the opposition would cry foul and level charges of rigging after losing election in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). They will do the same in 2023 Election, he added. “As long as they (opposition) would not exclude non-parliamentary and irresponsible language from politics, they have no political future in Pakistan.”
The minister said that 46 soldiers of Afghan National Army and Border Police including five officers would be returned to their country with respect within a day or two. He said that Pakistan Army has completed 2600-km long fencing along the Pak-Afghan border and the remaining would be completed till August 14. He said that 50 percent fencing work along Iran border has been completed.
The interior minister also warned all foreigners living in Pakistan, without any visas or with expired visas, to leave the country till August 14.
“All those foreigners living in Pakistan for the last many years and whose number is in thousands should leave the country till August 14 if they have not got renewed their visas.”
He said that all such foreigners should apply their visas online and he would waive off all their fines, but this waiver would only be availed till the deadline.
Talking about the AJK Election 2021, Sheikh Rashid said that all his predictions turned out to be true except about PPP who had got two or three more seats than what he had claimed. He added that the opposition party bagged these seats by spending huge money in these elections. He said that PTI was going to form its next government in AJK after Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. He viewed that PTI would also try to form next government in Sindh.
The interior minister said that PTI would come up to the expectations of the people of AJK and would try to end unemployment in the region.
The minister also rebutted some social media reports about recovery Pakistani national identity cards from Afghans by Taliban and said that international social media was being misused to defame National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). He said that a new policy about renewal, verification and modification of CNICs (computerized national identity cards) was being introduced in NADRA. He said that the CNIC issuance, under the policy, would be made mandatory through thumb impression. He also said that all suspected CNIC holders would be sent text messages through their cell phones for verification to ensure that no irresponsible person can benefit Pakistan’s CNIC. He said that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s FIA Cyber Crime Wing would be revamped as its performance was low.
On spying of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phones, he said that India and Israel have started a hybrid war against Pakistan and efforts were underway to steal their data.
He said that all accused in Noor Mukadam murder case have been placed on PNIL (provisional national identification list) as well as Black List to block then to fly abroad and a summary was being moved to the cabinet to pace their names on Exit Control List (ECL). He suggested that there should be such a justice system in country that corrupt and murders should be hanged quickly and Chinese system should be replicated here.
Responding to a question about his recent activities — horse-riding, boating and purchasing of camels from the market sacrificed on Eidul Azha, Sheikh Rashid said that he was a normal human being and also lived on this earth. Prime Minister was also asking me about such activities, he said and added, “I am not a supernatural interior minister.”