Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that his government would not allow Pakistan’s soil to be used for terrorist activities and that its focus is on economic development of the country.
“Insha’Allah, Pakistan’s government will not allow our soil to be used for terrorist activities anywhere in the world. This is a new Pakistan, a new time. We want investment in this country. Our Naya Pakistan will be prosperous, stable and peaceful. As a responsible country, and part of the international community, we will not allow any militant group to function here,” he said while addressing a rally in Chachro, Sindh.
“We sent the captured Indian pilot [Abhinandan Varthaman] back because we don’t want war. We sent this message [to India] time and again. We decided that we will help India in the Pulwama investigations. But no one should think this is due to any fear. This is because the ‘Naya Pakistan’ that we have envisioned is a place where we will eliminate poverty, our policies are for our own people,” said the Prime Minister.
“All political parties of Pakistan decided that under the National Action Plan (NAP), we will not allow any armed/militant group to operate in Pakistan. No country allows it either. Whatever the reasons for allowing this in the past were, now all political parties decided that no armed militia will be allowed to function in Pakistan again,” Mr. Khan added.
He added that his government would implement the NAP “in letter and spirit”.
“When I became the prime minister and talked to [Narendra] Modi, I said that the subcontinent has the most poor people. We should resolve our issues through dialogue and have peace and trade so we can eliminate poverty. But I didn’t know Modi’s election campaign has some other motive — that of spreading hate.”
Mr. Khan also said Pakistan would protect its Hindu minority.
“Half the population here [Tharparkar district, Sindh] is from the Hindu community. What the present government in India is doing to its minorities will not be replicated here in Pakistan. I assure you my government stands with our Hindu brethren and there will be no discrimination against minorities in this country. We will protect our minorities,” he said.
