Bannu incident: Ataullah Tarar rejects probe body announced by KP govt

PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for Information Ataullah Tarar has rejected the inquiry commission announced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government into the Bannu incident, claiming that the provincial government was part of the gathering.

Talking to the media after offering condolences for the father of Secretary Information Mubashir Hassan, the information minister alleged that the firing was shot at the gathering from a one-kilometer distance due to which one person was killed.

He said that a few days before the Bannu march, terrorists attacked Bannu Cantt, which was repulsed and several soldiers laid down their lives. He alleged that people in the Bannu’s “Amn March” were equipped with weapons.

He accused the PTI government of facilitating the terrorists to stage a comeback and thus a dangerous game was played.

He claimed that they restored peace through operations and ended the darkness. He accused the PTI of being a supporter of the Taliban from day one.

He went on to claim that they strengthened the counter terrorism department in Punjab and restored peace through operations. “We had also asked the KP government to strengthen the CTD. But they maintained links with the Taliban instead,” he went on to accuse.

Regarding the economic situation of the country, the federal minister said that the growth rate in 2018 was 6 percent and price-hike was 4 percent. The statistics show that prices of items were showing a downward trend even now, he claimed.

Ata Tarar said that they were in contact with Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who they consider as their ally. He said that the day was not far when they and Maulana would mend their ways and they would come to the same page again. He continued to blast PTI, saying that the so-called political party did whatever it could including the Cypher in enmity with their own country.