Terror threats: KP govt urges PDM to postpone Peshawar rally

PESHAWAR: Reiterating offer of talks to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on all issues except accountability, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai on Saturday urged the opposition alliance to postpone the Peshawar rally in view of terror threats.

He made the statement after his meeting with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here, said a handout. “Peshawar has witnessed a terrorism incident in which innocent children of a madrassa were targeted. The PDM should reconsider holding its Peshawar rally in view of the potential threat of terrorism,” the minister said in the statement. He said the government would not ban rallies and it would instead provide foolproof security to the public gatherings. “The PDM should not play with the lives of the people to save the corrupt,” said Shaukat Yousafzai. Shaukat Yousafzai clarified that the offer of talks should not be construed as weakness of the government. “The opposition has the right to raise public issues, but it wants to protect the corrupt under the guise of inflation, which will not be allowed,” said Shaukat Yousafzai. The security forces and the police made sacrifices to eradicate terrorism, the minister said, adding that speeches being made in PDM rallies were against the army to give an opportunity to the enemy to launch propaganda against the country. Shaukat Yousafzai said the nation stood by the security forces in the fight against terrorism. He said that the opposition was promoting its vested interests. “If they have an agenda on public issues, the government is ready to negotiate with them. The aim of PDM is to save the corrupt,” he added.

The minister said that all the indicators of economic recovery were moving in the right direction. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was aware of inflation and was taking strict measures to control it.