Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the Army Chief provided full cooperation to deal with the rioters in Islamabad.
While addressing the Federal Cabinet meeting, he condemned the incident that took place in Islamabad, stating that our forces ended the protest with better strategy.
A disturbance had been created in Islamabad, during which the citizens and traders of Islamabad faced difficulties. Law enforcement agencies arrested the troublemakers.
Due to the protest, the stock market suffered a huge loss in one day, with the 100 index dropping by 4,000 points. The damage caused to the economy due to the protest is evident.
Business in Islamabad had been almost nonexistent for several days, and life in the twin cities had come to a standstill. Shops were closed, tourists were complaining, and factory owners were extremely worried.
Hospitals face immense difficulties in treating patients. Before 2014, there was no concept of an invasion of Islamabad. The 2014 sit-in caused the postponement of the Chinese President’s visit to Pakistan.
The 126-day-long sit-in set the economy back by several years. Even during the visit of the Saudi delegation, protests and riots occurred, and a call for protests was also made during the SCO conference.
Peaceful protest is everyone’s right, but taking the law into one’s hands is not allowed. Rioters cannot digest the country’s progress. Investment occurs where peace is established. We are creating an environment for investment, but some people are instigating unrest.
These rioters have become enemies of Pakistan’s development. The time has come to make tough decisions with consultation. We have no other way forward except for the development of Pakistan.
As Prime Minister, I have decided that rioters will not be allowed to protest again. On one side, there is talk of Pakistan’s development, while on the other, the situation has turned into a battlefield.
Countless people, who are not Pakistani, come here with weapons. They harass and injure innocent citizens. During the last protest, a police officer from Islamabad was martyred.
The common man could never think of being anti-state. If the culprits of May 9 had been sentenced by the courts, these situations would not have arisen. If those who took the law into their own hands had been punished, we would not have to face this day.
He further stated that terrorism has once again reared its head in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Chief Minister Ali Amin left the province, took up arms, and set out to attack the federation. During the protest, government resources should not have been used.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should focus on Parachinar. It is beyond understanding who would attack their capital. We will have to make tough decisions with mutual consultation.
We will have to decide whether to save the economy or face protests every day. We have two options; we will have to decide which path to take. We only have one option for Pakistan’s development and prosperity.
There is no other option but for Pakistan’s development and prosperity. A decision must be made not to give any more opportunities to these rioters. The President of Belarus visited Pakistan; he is a person who loves Pakistan dearly.
After careful consideration, we must decide how to move forward. I thank the Islamabad, Punjab police, and Rangers. The security forces pushed them back last night and cleared Islamabad.
Today, terrorism is rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Government resources were used, and guns were taken to launch an attack on Islamabad. Today, the common man’s life has become difficult.
The common man cannot send his children to school or go to the hospital. These people storm in and use filthy language. We need to have a serious discussion about this.
They are upset because Pakistan has managed to avoid default. To save Pakistan from default, we paid the political price. It breaks my heart to work so hard and have these people harm the country.
These people claim there was rigging in the elections. Who will account for the massive rigging in the 2018 elections? After the 2018 elections, we entered the parliament wearing black armbands.
Some friends suggested boycotting the parliament, but we decided against it. The founder of PTI came to me at that time and suggested forming an inquiry committee on the matter.
They proposed Shafqat Mehmood’s name for the inquiry committee, but to this day, the committee has only held one or two meetings. We never considered attacking Islamabad.
The Prime Minister further stated in his address that all religious and political parties held rallies and processions, but no one broke a single pot. This is a comparative analysis that should be presented to the nation. The PTI protest has caused an economic loss of 190 billion rupees.
There is no greater crime than harming the nation for personal gain. A few days ago, our friends caused harm to the country. There can be no greater animosity towards Pakistan than the statement made by Bushra Bibi. This is not a movement; it is sabotage and chaos.
There is no place for chaos and sabotage in politics. Political parties play their part in the national development. How is it political to anger Pakistan’s friendly countries? We must end this factionalism at any cost.
The Islamabad High Court issued orders that there should be no protest. These people violated the Islamabad High Court’s orders. One person is determined to elevate himself above Pakistan.
We will break the hands of those who harm Pakistan. We will not let Pakistan be harmed in any way.
