Daily Times

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto ZardariPPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday termed the federal government’s ‘unilateral decision’ to offer ‘amnesty’ to terrorist groups an ‘insult to the victims of terrorism’.

“The unilateral decision to offer amnesty to terrorist groups within Pakistan is an insult to the thousands of victims of terrorism,” Bilawal wrote on his Twitter handle, adding that the decision would encourage terrorist groups present in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policy to “appease the religious fascists” in Pakistan and on its Eastern and Western borders will make the country pay the price in the near future, Bilawal said. “Imran’s policy of appeasement to religious fascism within Pakistan as well as on our eastern & western borders will haunt us in [times] to come,” the leader added.

Speaking of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had on Thursday said that the interim Afghan government had declared an end to the war, and thus, the TTP should review its policies. “Our issue with TTP is that they targeted innocent, unarmed citizens,” the foreign minister had told a private TV channel. “The TTP should think about its future, keeping in mind its past actions,” Qureshi had said, adding, “If the TTP responds in a positive manner, so will Pakistan.” “But if they respond negatively, we will deal with them as we have before.”

The foreign minister said Pakistan had time and again informed the ousted Afghan president Ashraf Ghani about TTP’s presence in Afghanistan and its involvement in terrorist activities, but his regime did not take action against them. “However, the incumbent government has provided assurances that Afghan soil would not be used against any country, including Pakistan,” he had noted.