Deputy PM in London says there's no way to engage with individuals who attacked state institutions.
On September 8, 2024, in London, British parliamentarians of Pakistani descent engage with Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
Senator Ishaq Dar claimed on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's strategy of "appeasing and rehabilitating" extremist groups contributed to the return of terrorism, as the nation was taking retaliatory action in response to a recent wave of assaults.
According to a statement released today, Dar, the nation's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, made these comments while interacting with British legislators who are of Pakistani descent at a luncheon given by High Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Faisal at Pakistan House in London.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Nusrat Ghani, Yasmin Qureshi (MP), Mohammad Afzal Khan (MP), Naseem Shah (MP), Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Shaista Gohir, Lord Qurban Hussain, Baroness Nosheen Mubarak, and Lord Zameer Chaudhry were present at the dinner.
Dar told the gathering that terrorism was confined at great blood and financial expense to the country from 2013 to 2017 while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in power.
He did point out that there was a return of terrorism as a result of the previous government's approach of rehabilitating and appeasing extremist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and releasing over 100 hardened militants.
Since the Taliban rulers retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, the country has been reeling from an increase in violent attacks, especially in the neighboring regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.
Data from the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) shows that last month's lethal attacks increased dramatically in the two most susceptible regions.
The number of attacks increased from 38 in July to 59 in August, which indicated a concerning condition according to the computerized database of security occurrences maintained by the think-tank located in Islamabad. There were 29 attacks in KP, 28 in Balochistan, and 2 in Punjab among these instances.
Out of the 28 attacks in the southwestern region, the deadliest and most recent one claimed 57 lives and injured 84 more.
The British Pakistani parliamentarians were briefed by the deputy premier on the government's plan for economic restoration in the interim.
He noted that from 2013 to 2017, Pakistan, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, had developed into the 24th-largest economy in the world and was expected to join the G20. He lamented, "But political unrest starting in 2018 had thrown Pakistan's economic trajectory for a loop."
Dar emphasized that the government was dedicated to returning Pakistan to the path of economic expansion and progress that it had been following since 2017.
He remarked, "The challenging and politically unpopular measures taken by the recent government are now beginning to bear fruit." The government has stabilized the currency, reduced the current account deficit, and brought inflation down to a single digit.
"The Special Investment Facilitation Council [SIFC], established by the government last year, was attracting significant foreign investors' interest in Pakistan's energy, mining, IT, and agriculture sectors. There was widespread institutional support for economic reform," he continued.
Additionally, the foreign minister sought advice from parliamentarians on how the government could attract more British
Dar emphasized that it was critical for young British Pakistanis to maintain ties to their heritage, pointing out that Pakistan just implemented a new visa-free policy to encourage Pakistani expatriates to visit the country.
The Deputy Prime Minister remarked that there could be no discussion of dealing with people who "attacked state institutions and used international forums to undermine the national interest," referring to the party founded by Imran Khan.
He further promised that Pakistan's path to progress and prosperity would not be obstructed by any internal or external forces seeking to sow discord and instability in the country.
In addition, Dar expressed gratitude to the British lawmakers for bringing up the subject of the horrors committed against the defenseless inhabitants of Gaza and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K).