Director General Inter Public Services Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor issued a stern warning to the leadership of Pukhtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) that the time for them is and now the law will take its course if they indulge in anti-state activities. They had already been categorically told not to cross the red line. Their genuine demands have been fulfilled.
The authentic information about the links of PTM leaders with foreign intelligence agencies and visit of one its leader to the Indian Embassy in Qandhar reveals their hidden agenda. Few days before its first power show in Peshawar two years ago supremo of a Baluchistan based so called Pukhtun nationalist party had made an extensive tour of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. The links of this gentleman with anti-Pakistan elements in Afghanistan is no longer a secret. The slogan of “Lar au bar yau Pukhtun” has been the mantra of two ethnic regional political parties of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan which have been rejected by masses in 2018 elections. However, the political support that mainstream PPP leadership, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is giving to PTM, a centrifugal political outfit, is beyond the comprehension of people. He also said that policy statement should have not been issued through ISPR and it was the mandate of Foreign Minister. The response of DG ISPR and communication minister Murad Saeed in this regard is befitting.
Banning of proscribed organisation and choking the sources of funding to them; mainstreaming of seminaries with curriculum reforms and government funding; and reforming the justice system are some of the core points of National Action Plan (NAP). Previous government was not interested in the implementation of these points but the present government also seems to have adopted an oblivious attitude towards these points. When federal and provincial governments took over the assets of banned organisations along with their seminaries, a senior leader of PTI Ijaz Chaudhry told categorically in talk show of a private TV Channel that the curricula of seminaries will, by and large remain intact, and already employed teachers will stay put. He also said that seminaries will remain under the Board of Wafaqul Madaris. But the DG ISPR said in media briefing that these institutions will be brought under the Ministry of Education and the Army is working with this ministry to prepare the syllabus to introduce the contemporary subjects in it. He told that Army Chief has made interaction with the Ulema of different school of thoughts in the past few months.
The leadership of two mainstream religio-political parties, Jamiate-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) are opposed to the seminaries reforms. JUI Central Amir Maulana Fazlu Rehman said in press conference in Lahore that spokesman of Armed Forces should have not touched the subject of seminaries and Wafaqul Madaris should not hold talks with the government. JI Amir Senator Sirajul Haq said a few days ago that government is visible nowhere.
The government has not shown any resolve to reform the justice system although it claims seriousness about the implementation of NAP. Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa, while speaking at national conference on “Expeditious Justice System” deplored that parliament did not accord priority to justice system. He emphasised that it is for the state legislature to come up with laws which should be clear, unambiguous and easy to apply. The CJP told the conference that justice commission of Pakistan had submitted 70 reports to the parliament and Law Ministry for attending different parts of laws which needed amendments or substitutions of different provisions.
Different institutions of the state, within their constitutional mandate, provide the necessary input and it is then the responsibility of the government to benefit from it while making legislations and codifying laws thereon in the larger interest of the country and its people. The present government should not step in the shoes of previous governments and must fulfill its responsibilities to the nation.
