LAHORE: The Punjab chief minister needs to explain his inaction against handlers of terrorists in the province during his eight-year long tenure, which he is admitting now, says Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Speaking to members of PAT central core committee on Tuesday, he said the chief minister’s admission had once again proved his party’s stance right that terrorists’ sleepers cell existed in Punjab and they enjoyed political backing.

The terrorists used these cells to carry out activities not only in Punjab but also other parts of the country, he said, adding the situation required a ruthless operation against anti-state elements. He said it was a fact that the biggest buyers of illegal arms were in Punjab but the authorities concerned were turning a blind eye to them.

Mr Qadri said most of people in Punjab were peaceful and loved Islam, but there were some groups that followed foreign agenda and were involved in anti-state activities. He lamented that despite being well-known, these groups had been escaping any punitive action.

He said PAT was a peaceful party and had always preached peace and harmony. It was unfortunate that 14 of its workers were killed while scores of others were booked on terror charges, he added.

He alleged that those calling shots in Punjab were open sympathisers of terrorists.

“No operation (against terrorists) could bear fruit as long as Sharif brothers were in power,” he said, and accused Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif of failing the National Action Plan through their inaction.

He said Punjab chief minister was an accused in the Model Town killing, while the IGP had been summoned by anti-terrorist court in the case. The authorities in Punjab had no moral and legal authority to govern and their role in the war on terror was questionable, Mr Qadri insisted.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2017