Armed groups: Imran says all parties agreed on across the board action

PTI chairman pushes for crackdown on militant wings of all parties in power. PHOTO: REUTERS

BANNU: 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that all political parties had acquiesced to across-the-board and indiscriminate action to purge the country of terrorists and armed militias. He was referring to the two multiparty conferences convened following the methodical killing of 150-plus students and staff at Peshawar’s Army Public School on December 16, 2014.

The ongoing action in Karachi is pursuant to the decisions taken by leaders of all parliamentary parties at these multiparty conferences, Imran said while speaking at a public gathering during his visit to the southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa district of Bannu on Saturday.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was part of both the conferences, he said. “It [MQM] cannot be given the right to make it to the assemblies by any means, become part of the government and then make itself above the law,” he added.

It was agreed in these conferences that no armed group would be allowed to operate in the country, Imran said, adding that first of all action should be taken against the militant wings of those parties that were in power.

The paramilitary Rangers raided the MQM headquarters Nine-Zero earlier this month and seized “wanted targeted killers and stockpile of weapons”. In a subsequent video confessional statement, condemned target killer Saulat Mirza leveled serious allegations against the party. The MQM brushed aside the allegations and said the Karachi operation was an attempt to muzzle the voice of a liberal and democratic party.