PM directs setting up anti-riots force

By Muhammad Anis

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to establish an Anti-Riots Force in Islamabad and across the country to deal with rioters.

Chairing a review meeting on the law & order situation in Islamabad on Thursday, he said the force should be equipped with professional training and necessary tools of international level.

During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the recent attacks on public property, police and Rangers personnel by protesters during protests. The prime minister said those involved in historical corruption and conspiracies to bankrupt the country in order to save their government have been caught by the law. He said instead of taking the legal route, attempts were repeatedly made to spread chaos across the country by marching on Islamabad.

Shehbaz Sharif said security forces personnel were injured and martyred during the march of the anarchists. He said these so-called revolutionaries are making sinister attempts to destroy and spread chaos in the country. Immediate legal action should be taken against the miscreants marching on Islamabad. The prime minister instructed to improve the prosecution system. He said these sinister attempts to spread chaos have caused the country billions of rupees in losses.

Shehbaz Sharif said this gang of anarchists and its leaders are responsible for the economic damage to the country. He said miscreants should be immediately identified and given exemplary punishment. The prime minister said he and the entire nation pay tribute to the security personnel martyred while performing their duties during the march. He directed to formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent any march on Islamabad or any other city for personal gains.

Shehbaz Sharif said the government showed tolerance in preventing armed individuals from spreading chaos under the guise of a so-called peaceful sit-in. He instructed to devise a comprehensive plan to deal with any such situation in the future.

The premier said those who incited public anger, unrest and chaos during the recent events should be brought to justice. Shehbaz Sharif said legal action should be taken against those who damaged public and private property as well as identified armed individuals.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, reiterating the government resolve to transform Pakistan’s economic landscape, said the national security of the country had direct linkages with economic security. “If we are economically strong, our exports are growing fast, industrial sector is expanding, then our economic security will automatically strengthen our critical security,” the prime minister said while addressing the 26th National Security Workshop of Defence University.

Emphasizing the government’s commitment to execute a comprehensive “Charter of Economy”, the prime minister said that in 2018, he as the opposition leader, also suggested the idea of charter of economy and now “we are fully prepared to execute this idea”.

The prime minister, stressing the need to privatize all the State Own Entities (SOEs), said, “The government’s mandate is only to facilitate private businesses. We should completely do away with the businesses to save trillions of rupees.” He said all institutions were on the same page and he and the army chief were also fully aligned on this issue.

He said the country was still facing many challenges. “We all know that in June 2023 it was touch and go as Pakistan was at the verge of default due to various reasons that we all know.” The prime minister highlighted that the government managed to bring the economy out of crisis due to a successful standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, he said the programme would bring more hardship to the people but the government had no choice. He also hoped that this would be the last programme with the IMF.

Shehbaz stated that over the past 76 years, Pakistan has seen numerous brilliant economic plans, but they have failed due to a lack of will to implement them. He said the government was preparing a homegrown plan that would be implemented in letter and spirit. “I will do my best along with my colleagues to implement this plan in letter and spirit and transform Pakistan’s economic landscape.”

Other than the economic challenges, the prime minister said the country was also facing the security challenge. He said around 80,000 people had sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism and the economic losses touched $130 billion.

During the Nawaz Sharif government, terrorism was completely defeated, however this monster had surfaced again and was showing its ugly face as sad incidents were happening on daily basis. “What happened in Parachinar just a few days ago, innocent people lost their lives from both sides,” he said.

The prime minister stated that there was an attack on Islamabad, in which thousands of people marched with guns, aiming to create uncertainty and chaos. Their ultimate goal was to destroy the government’s untiring efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy. He resolved to protect the country’s future with the support of all stakeholders. “Together we have to move forward and this can only happen through unity of actions.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the unwavering support of the people and Government of Pakistan for the just cause of Palestine and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. “We will continue to stand by you in your just and rightful pursuit of peace, dignity and right to self-determination,” the prime minister said in his message in connection with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the devastating floods in Malaysia. In a statement, he expressed solidarity with the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the people of Malaysia.