Chairman and Founder of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, said on Wednesday he considers Taliban to be terrorists while rubbishing speculation of him supporting extremism and militant groups.
“This is absolute nonsense. It’s just not true,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera English’s current affairs show, UpFront. “All you have to do is look at my statements for the past 10 years.”
Within this context, Imran was also asked if he considers the Taliban a ‘terrorist’ group. “Yes they are,” he replied. “Anyone who kills innocent people are terrorists.”
Imran also responded to accusations by the former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari that his large financial donations to Darul Uloom Haqqania, a school known for educating Taliban fighters, was evidence that he supported extremism.
The PTI chief further added that Zardari’s comments were ‘like so many of the Muslim corrupt rulers, ex-rulers, trying to win Western support by saying how liberal they are and how anti-Taliban they are.’
During the interview, Imran was asked if he supported a change to the laws, which carry a death sentence, he responded, “Extremism is not going to be fought by-laws; extremism has to be fought first by disbanding those groups that are perpetuating this extremism.”
“Whatever you do with the laws, people will be killed,” he added.
Also during the interview, Imran was asked whether he believed the Ahmadiyya community deserved equal rights.
“All human beings have equal rights. Anyone who’s a Pakistani has an equal right. The constitution should protect him, he’s an equal citizen,” he said.
Are you not the same gentleman who wanted Taliban to open an Office in Pakistan ?
Comments are closed.