LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri alleges the government is not sincere to extend duration of military courts and parliamentary negotiations on the issue are nothing but an eyewash.

Addressing a delegation of party’s ulema wing on Wednesday, he said the countries facing terrorism had enacted special anti-terror laws and courts but in Pakistan, the worst terror-hit country, extraordinary laws and measures had become a matter of dispute.

He said there was no doubt that facilitators and supporters of terrorists had an access to power corridors and they have high political stakes. “They know if terrorism is rooted out, it will eventually become impossible for them to achieve their political designs.”

Dr Qadri said that the Qazi Essa Commission report was an eye-opener and the masses can no longer be befooled on one pretext or the other. He said the people knew that Operation Zarb-i-Azb, National Action Plan, military courts and eradication of terror had never been a priority of the present rulers, as they were least concerned about killing of Pakistanis in terror attacks.

He said the Qazi Essa Report had not been taken seriously and instead of taking action on it, the commission head was threatened. Then the Supreme Court had to intervene and take notice of the situation.

He warned that the nation would pay the price if no action against supporters of terror was taken and feared that the sacrifices made by armed forces and masses might go waste if present policies of rulers continued.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2017