Pervaiz Rashid says Pakistan Army fully supports PML-N govt; not interfering in Pak-India ties
Says Pakistan wants resolution of disputes with India through dialogue
Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has assured that the Pakistan Army fully supported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and was not interfering on the issue of Pakistan-India relations.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, the information minister said that the army understood national interest and was with the government to safeguard it.
“”The army had never intervened to sabotage Pakistan-India relationship and I am sure the army would not do it in future too,” the minister said in response to a question.
Rashid added that it was not the entire army but just one individual – former dictator Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf – who first “planned an adventure” on Kargil and later “touched the knees” of Vajpaee in Kathmandu.
“It’s better to hold hands than touch knees,” the minister said.
Answering a question, the minister said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India on the occasion of oath taking ceremony of the newly-elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will provide an opportunity to the premier to exchange views with heads of the SAARC and other countries.
Rashid said all the Pakistani political parties both in and outside the Parliament have welcomed the prime minister’s decision to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi.
“Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going to form the government in India and make policies for the next five years,” he said. “Pakistan will have to talk to the new Indian government,” he stated.
The information minister said that Pakistan respected the mandate of the Indian people who have chosen Narendra Modi as their next prime minister. He stressed the need to move forward to a better future of new generations of Pakistan and India, putting the bitter past behind.
To a query on recent military action against terrorists in tribal areas, the minister said that the government would reciprocate for every action adding that dialogue would be made with those elements who wanted talks and peace while militants who did not abandon terrorism would be handled with iron hands.
Lashing out at cable operators, the information minister said that it was not cable operators’ domain to cut any channel. He said the government would take action against cable operators who banned particular channels adding that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) body was doing its job to look into matter.
On Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI)’s weekly protest, Rashid said that “gathering of 10 people” was not a protest but a “picnic event”. He said Imran Khan was controlling KP government sitting in Bani Gala. He advised Khan to hold protest rallies in Peshawar and Abbotabad rather than Faisalabad.
It was the decision of the Govt. of Pakistan to send the PM to attend the ceremony. In a functioning democracy one does not need the blessing of the Army. The decision regarding Kargill was not taken by Musharraf alone. The PM of the day was fully informed but conveniently chose to live in denial. The planning, practice of Kargill adventure took months and to maintaian that no body on the top did not know about it is frankly difficult to swallow.
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