The other day while in Murree in a detailed exclusive meeting with the PMLN parliamentary party leader in the Senate Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the former three times Prime Minister and party Supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif discussed the important linkage between law and order and foreign investment, development of the country, and prosperity of the nation.
In the meeting, the PMLN Supremo called for national consensus to tackle gigantic challenges and all out support to crush terrorists mercilessly. At this defining moment, our nation needs to stand by the armed forces to address the multifaceted challenges.
The PMLN stalwart Mian Nawaz Sharif was categorical of the view that the armed forces and security agencies should be fully supported by the powerful nation of 250 million people of Pakistan to completely eradicate terrorism from every corner of the country.
Focusing on the pivotal role of security, the Supremo advocated unwavering support to the armed forces and security agencies in their anti-terrorism endeavours.
The PMLN President in the meeting urged veteran Senator Irfan Siddiqui that the parliament being the supreme forum of the representatives of 250 million people of Pakistan can play an active and effective role in the elimination of terrorism from the country. The PMLN Supremo is of the view that the elimination of terrorism from the country is a national objective and to achieve this complex goal all the parliamentarians will have to join hands and pull up their socks.
The Supremo’s words have come on the heels of the country’s top military commanders slamming opposition to vision Azm-e-Istehkam, noting that the unwarranted criticism of the vision by PTI( SIC) and JUIF and the deliberate misrepresentation for mere furthering personal vested interests.
Senior PML-N leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui told the writer that the PMLN President also had expressed serious concerns over elements active to destabilise the country and tarnish its image on an international level. The PMLN stalwart Nawaz Sharif argued that the cricketer turned so-called politician has no genuine stakes in democracy and the people’s welfare.
Continuing discussion with Senator Irfan Siddiqui with heavy heart, the PMLN Supremo highlighted the country's past achievements regarding inflation, load shedding and terrorism. During his previous term (2013 -17) he as prime minister successfully tackled all those odds which have resurfaced once again. But being optimistic, the Supremo assured the nation that with diligent leadership, the nation would overcome these adversities sooner.
Recalling his last term( 2013 -17) as prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif said that, Pakistan had successfully controlled inflation, eliminated load shedding, and bid farewell to IMF bailouts. The country was well on track but then miscreants like Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri were brought for quite unnecessarily 126 days sit-in at Jinnah avenue in front of the parliament. Derailing developmental momentum that conspiracy badly shuffled and shattered democracy. Resulting in bringing back the worst level of inflation, loadsheing, poverty and dependence on IMF once again. The then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who brought the country to safe harbor was unjustly removed from premiership in July 2017. Seven long monstrous and destructive years have passed. This is July 2024 where again we are wondering like a stray. Throwing the country and the nation in dark ages seven deadly long year have passed. Here the question arises who is responsible for this undue halt and downfall of our country and the nation? Has anybody any answer?
Continuing the long talks the Supremo lamented the significant setbacks since 2018, saying they have led to creating severe difficulties across multiple spheres. These setbacks will take considerable time to rectify, but will be rectified provided we stand firm.
During the meeting, Senator Irfan Siddiqui presented the Supremo a comprehensive report on the parliamentary party’s performance in the Senate, reaffirming the PML-N’s commitment to addressing the nation’s pressing issues and striving for a stable and prosperous future.
The Supremo’s support to the security forces has come just days after the PML-N-led coalition government led by Premier Shehbaz Sharif, announced to launch of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.
On June 22, an Apex Committee of the National Action Plan meeting, chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif, has very rightly approved “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” to eliminate terrorism and extremism across the country.
The next day of the Premier's announcement, the PTI (SIC) declared their opposition to any military operation and demanded that the military leadership take parliament into confidence first. However, the government later clarified that ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ would not be a kinetic operation.
Soon after the announcement of the new operation, the opposition parties had not only strongly reacted to the decision but vowed to create resistance if any new operation was launched in the country. The opposition parties also questioned the outcome of the previous military operations in the country.
The government has clarified that ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ isn’t an operation but a vision. However, the debate had resurfaced once again when Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan would carry out cross-border strikes in Afghanistan to target terrorists if necessary. Pakistan armed forces need to go for hot pursuit against the terrorists specifically in KP and Balochistan provinces. The opposition's reckless rhetoric in this regard is not only inflammatory but also endangered the fragile peace and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has very rightly decided to call an All Parties Conference (APC) to take all the political parties in confidence over its vision Azm-e-Istehkam. Though a formal date for (APC) hasn’t yet been announced, yet PPP and PTI-turned-SIC have already confirmed their participation in the APC.