In his address to the Police officials at Police Lines today, the federal Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan has tried to defend his case of allowing DPC to hold rally in Islamabad despite imposition of 144 in the city as he gave following key arguments:

DPC was instructed that proscribed organizations must not be present in the rally.

Some of my friends from PPP are criticizing me for allowing DPC to hold public gathering in Islamabad. They must remember that the DPC was formed during PPPs government and it organized several rallies during that tenure. If PPP did not stop them during her own government, then it must not demand us to stop them now.

DPC also contains political organizations such as JI, JUI-Sami ul Haq, PML-Q, and even Sheikh Rasheed’s party has also remained a part of it.

DPC was allowed to hold gathering as it had formally applied for prior permission while they did not have any malicious plans.

Unfortunately, the arguments that he gave in his defense were absurd and lousy. Here, I would like to mention the reason by commenting against each of his argument in a point wise manner.

1- [Interior Minister] DPC was instructed that proscribed organizations must not be present in the rally.

[My Comments] If the above is true, then Interior Minister must know that the leader of the famous banned terrorist outfit ASWJ (ex-SSP) was not only present on the stage but also addressed the gathering. Here, I would also like to ask the honorable Interior Minister that why did not he set the same condition for the meeting with the DPC. As the leader of ASWJ was also present in the delegation who met him before the rally.

2- [Interior Minister] Some of my friends from PPP are criticizing me on this matter, they must know that DPC was formed during PPPs government and it organized several rallies during that tenure. If PPP did not stop them, then it must not demand us to stop them now.

[My comments] Although, PPP must also have checked it during its period, but two wrongs don’t make a right. Furthermore, if Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan has decided to follow the same path as followed by the previous governments, then why did they stage the drama of announcing National Action Plan? Who was to be fooled by announcing commitment to this plan? What was the purpose of the NAP if it was not to be followed?

It must be remembered that the recent meeting between the Federal Interior Minister and DPC delegation along with the subsequent rally of DPC in Islamabad resulted in direct violations of the Point No. 7, 9, and 11 of the National Action Plan which are as follows:

“7. Ensuring against re-emergence of proscribed organizations”.

“9. Taking effective steps against religious persecution.”

“11. Ban on glorification of terrorists and terrorist organizations through print and electronic media.”

3- [Interior Minister] DPC also contains political organizations such as JI, JUI-Sami ul Haq, PML-Q, and even Sheikh Rasheed’s party has also remained a part of it.

[My comments] DPC, which is a collection of several organizations (almost three dozen in number), contains not one but multiple proscribed organizations which have been banned by the same ministry which is now led by Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan. One of the objectives of the NISP (National Internal Security Policy 2014-2018) announced by the government of Pakistan mentioned on page No. 4 of the policy document says:

“ii) isolation of terrorists from their support systems”. (Reference: NISP 2014-2018)

So the political parties providing shelters to a proscribed terrorist organization are in fact harboring and supporting that terrorist organization. The banned outfits must be isolated from all such political alliances that are serving as their support systems and providing them the umbrella so that they keep operating under the name of that alliance or the council. Similarly, the other members of the council or alliance that houses a proscribed organization must be considered as facilitators or sympathizers of terrorists and therefore action must be taken against them also.

4- [Interior Minister] DPC was allowed to hold gathering as it had formally applied for prior permission while they did not have any malicious plans.

[My Comments] That means if a proscribed organization applies for prior permission, it will be allowed to hold a public gathering or rally. By the way, if it can do everything that any functional organization does, why calling them proscribed?

I think that through the above stated remarks, the Federal Interior Minister has formally suggested that the people of Pakistan must offer funeral prayers of the National Action Plan (NAP). We must pray to Almighty Allah to bless our beloved motherland with honest and upright leaders who also possess the political will to fight against terrorism and make Pakistan a hub of peace.

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