ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Pakistan Muslim League-N on Tuesday expressed its serious concern over the growing incidents of terrorism in the country and demanded of the rulers to review its post-9/11 policy of supporting the US in its war against terrorism.
Speaking at a news conference, acting parliamentary leader of the PML-N Ch Nisar Ali Khan said that Pakistan was in a great turmoil as incidents of terrorism were taking place daily making the country the second most terrorism-hit country after Iraq.
PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal, former provincial minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar and president of the party’s Islamabad chapter Dr Tariq Chaudhry were also present on the occasion.
Mr Khan said at a time, when the post-9/11 policies were being reviewed in the US, the UK and Spain, the rulers in Pakistan were trying to become more loyal than the king. He said despite all out support of Pakistan in the war against terrorism, every US official was blaming Pakistan for providing shelter to the terrorists.
The PML-N leader said the rulers had brought the war of outsiders to Pakistan. He said there was a war-like situation in Pakistan. He said Pakistan Army had so far lost 700 officers and personnel in the ongoing war against terrorism.
He accused Gen Musharraf of pushing these brilliant army officers and personnel into the war against those Pakistanis who were only opposing the intrusion of foreigners into their motherland.
Mr Khan said Gen Musharraf had several times stated before national and international media that Al-Qaeda’s network had been destroyed in Pakistan. On the other hand, he said, after every terrorism incident in the country, the rulers announced Al-Qaeda’s involvement in it.
MPC ISSUE: Ch Nisar expressed the hope that People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto would participate in the multi-party conference (MPC) of the opposition parties in London on March 24 and 25.
He said the MPC would be convened under the cover of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), but it would be hosted by the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif.
He said that formal invitations would be sent to all the political parties in a day or two from the PML-N’s London office.
Replying to a question, Ahsan Iqbal said that after agreeing on all the demands of the PPP and removing all their concerns, the PML-N believed that Ms Bhutto would take part in the MPC.