Terrorists released under deals behind recent unrest, Senate body told

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said most of the miscreants involved in recent terrorist activities in the country were released under a previous agreement and operating from Afghanistan.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, he said the interior secretary provided a dossier on the use of Afghan soil for such activities inside Pakistan to Afghanistan.

The interior minister added: “There is no plan to launch a military operation in Balochistan. The August 26 incident was orchestrated by banned organisations involving multiple groups.”

He continued "There were 14 towers at the building, and all of them were under fire. Our forces confronted them. Had they managed to breach the compound, the damage could have been catastrophic.

The operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were being conducted on an intelligence basis.

"Wherever there is information on the presence of terrorists, action is taken," he said.

About the Kacha area unrest, Naqvi stressed: "We want to coordinate with the provinces to ensure that once we clear these areas, the situation does not revert in two years.

“Discussions with provinces are on so that measures could be adopted to prevent a recurrence of the current situation if the area is cleared.”

Senator Faisal Sabzwari said apart from political parties, religious groups too sprang into action.

About the bill related to protest and law and order, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri said the purpose of bringing this law is not to target any political party.

“The person who has 5000 to 10,000 followers can sit wherever he wants.”

The committee chairman said political parties go to these places only after obtaining formal permission and there is a law for those who go without NOC

Senator Samina Zehri said the problem is that people come and damage properties

The Senate body was informed that the district admin issued NOC on the condition that people should not be harassed in protest and speeches should not be made against state institutions.

There are diplomats in Islamabad and diplomatic and investment-related matters are also taken up in the federal capital, the body told.

Saifullah Abro and Shahadat Awan traded barbs with each other during the proceedings.