Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Monday urged the government to initiate a Rangers-led security operation in Punjab, beginning by nabbing a ‘facilitating minister’.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Elahi claimed that the government does not want the Rangers to carry out an operation in all parts of Punjab.

He demanded an indiscriminate security operation against all criminal elements in Punjab like that underway in Karachi. The former Punjab chief minister demanded complete policing powers for Rangers in Punjab.

“All opposition parties, including our party, have been demanding an undiscriminating operation in Punjab. All parties are of the view that no peace in Punjab, and all over Pakistan, can be achieved without the operation. The rulers are still working for the operation to be launched in four or five districts only, but this in fact is a conspiracy to defame the Rangers,” he said.

He said that the government’s sincerity towards eradicating terrorism would be proved if a ‘facilitating minister’ is the first in line of arrests.

Elahi said that during the last four years, due to his adamant attitude, Shehbaz Sharif neither launched an operation himself nor let the Rangers do that, allowing terror incidents to take thousands of innocent lives all over Pakistan, including Punjab.

He said that during first two months of current year, 150 people have become a victim of terrorism, whereas in 625 incidents, which occurred in 2015, 1,080 people were martyred and 1,500 injured and in 2016, about 900 deaths occurred 1,418 injured in 441 incidents, if timely operation was launched in Punjab, then gangs like the Chottugang would not have been born.

Parvez Elahi said that if the government is sincere in launching operation then all facilitators, including a provincial minister, should also be arrested only then people will believe that operation is rightly being carried out.

Replying to a question regarding the PSL Final, He said that despite 9/11, number of foreign cricket teams, including India, undertook successful tours during our tenure, if attackers of Sri Lankan team were arrested and sentenced immediately; our reputation would not have been spoiled like this.

He said that Shehbaz is not concerned about the country he only takes interest in ‘making dollars’. Responding to another question regarding the delay in establishment of the military courts, he said that the intention of the rulers are coming in the way of the courts, but hopefully this matter will be settled soon.