LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday said incidents of terrorism including Monday’s blast in Lahore would not be occurring if the National Action Plan (NAP) had been implemented in its true spirit.
“The war against terrorism can’t be won until the police force is strengthened and depoliticised,” Kaptaan told reporters outside Allama Iqbal Airport.
“Army and Rangers cannot do everything [to overcome terrorism] on their own.”
The skipper said that rulers were not sincere in the uplift of the police force because of their vested interests.
The cricketer-turned-politician said his party will present the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police Act in parliament as well as the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Sindh.
“If they [rulers] really care about the well-being of the people, they will let this act pass in their respective assemblies,” he said.
Hailing the performance of the KP police, Imran said the crime rate had reduced in the province due to the PTI government’s sincere efforts to uplift the forces.
Talking about Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms, he said there was a dire need to merge the tribal region with KP.
“If we are to capitalise on the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, we need to introduce FATA reforms,” he said, lamenting that nothing was being done to act on the issue. Firing a broadside at Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet, Imran said Nawaz and his ministers did not care about anything but saving Sharifs from the Panama Papers scandal. “The government is not functioning because its machinery is engaged in protecting the prime minister’s corruption,” he said.
Questioning NAP’s implementation, the PTI leader said all political parties signed the plan and it should be implemented immediately. “When there’s a political consensus on NAP, why is it not being implemented?” he questioned. He said if the Rangers can conduct an operation in Karachi, “then why cannot the same be done in Punjab”.
“All political parties signed the National Action Plan (NAP). We should implement it everywhere,” Khan said.
