In Lahore, amidst escalating political unrest, a surge in terroristactivities, and heightened border tensions, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) has raised concerns regarding national security. They have urged boththe state and government to swiftly realign their priorities and take aresolute stance in safeguarding the nation’s security.
On a Thursday, a PTI spokesperson paid heartfelt tribute to the courageoussoldiers who valiantly thwarted a terrorist incursion along the Pak-Afghanborder. These brave individuals, who made the ultimate sacrifice inthwarting the nefarious intentions of terrorists, are hailed as nationalheroes. PTI extends their deepest sympathies and solidarity to the bereavedfamilies of these martyrs.
The spokesperson emphasized that national security is currently the mostdelicate and pressing concern, with looming threats causing great disquiet.Over the past 17 months, the increasing presence of terrorists,particularly in border regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has become aprofound concern for both the state and government. The mounting tensionalong the Pak-Afghan border and armed incursions are serious worries forPakistan.
The spokesperson highlighted that Pakistan, along with its law enforcementagencies and armed forces, has made monumental sacrifices in the prolongedbattle against terrorism. The resurgence of this menace in previouslystabilized regions poses a formidable challenge to the state.
Due to a severe economic downturn, internal restlessness, and mountinganxieties stretching across the nation, from Kashmir to Gilgit and fromKarachi to Gwadar, the challenges to national security are intensifying.
The spokesperson stated that the flagrant departure from constitutionalnorms, violation of human rights, and the reluctance to steer the nation’spolitics away from coercion and lawlessness are primary drivers behind thedisruptive chaos diverting the state’s attention and resources.
Issues such as economic recovery, border defense, and national securityrequire an extraordinary allocation of state resources, comprehensiveinstitutional collaboration, and meticulous attention. A new approach mustbe adopted by both the state and government to address the gravity of thesituation.
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PTI maintained that the state should aim to unite the nation as apolitically cohesive entity instead of sowing seeds of discord and divisionthrough unconstitutional actions and vindictive tactics. They asserted thata government with a public mandate can effectively address the nation’scomplex challenges by upholding the supremacy of the Constitution, adheringto the rule of law, and restoring the true spirit of democracy.
Furthermore, PTI strongly condemned the allocation of taxpayers’ money tothe media in an attempt to stifle its voice. They labeled this as adisgraceful act by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and thePakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rulers. The spokesperson decried theexpenses incurred by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting foradvertisements, labeling them as shameful and embarrassing.
These expenditures illuminated how certain individuals misusedadvertisements as a vehicle for political bribery and deception to gainstate patronage. Incompetent leaders spent approximately Rs10 billion onmisleading propaganda within just 16 months, the spokesperson said, addingthat the leaders of the PDM blatantly lied to the Supreme Court andwithheld funds for elections, thereby denying the rights of 170 millionvoters in Punjab and Pakhtunkhwa.
The spokesperson alleged that with this Rs10 billion, the media wascoerced into fueling division within the nation, stoking the flames ofhatred, undermining the judiciary, and supporting a reprehensible attack onthe constitution and democracy. He argued that following the promotion ofpolitical bribery, the cynical attempts to normalize bribery culture withinthe media stood as a disgraceful example of mafia politics.
The spokesperson concluded that “Tehreek-e-Insaf is committed to advancingthe principles of freedom of expression and communication, along with thewelfare of journalists, in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.”
