The Minister of State in the Interior, Talal Chaudhry, sentenced a series of violent attacks on international fast food sockets, initiating strict action against the people involved in the incidents that have occurred in several cities.
Talal Chaudhry told journalists in Faisalabad on Saturday that the State would take care of “strictly” of anyone involved in public damage or private property, saying that such acts would be treated as “no different from a terrorist attack”.
At least 20 separate incidents have been reported in the Sindh and Punjab, notably in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura.
In the most serious case, a worker was fatally killed when armed men attacked a restaurant in Sheikhupura on April 14.
“These franchises invest more than $ 100 million in Pakistan, employ more than 25,000 people, pay 100% taxes and buy from local suppliers,” said Chaudhry. “The whole profit remains in Pakistan. What excuse is there for such attacks? ”
Chaudhry stressed that the targeted franchises were detained and exploited locally, and said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered immediate provincial coordination to protect companies and stop suspects.
He confirmed that 145 arrests had been carried out in Punjab and 15 in Islamabad, with 12 first recorded.
The detained people, he said, expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness.
Responding to information reporting political involvement, Chaudhry said that the surveys have shown that no party organized violence.
“No political or religious party has called for these acts. Some people may have acted by themselves,” he said, adding that clerics had issued decrees labeling these actions as non-Islamic.
He also noted the impact on Pakistan’s investment climate. “Investors are our crown,” he said. “We take all measures to confirm the law and protect the livelihoods of thousands.”
Police said the suspects had been traced using video surveillance sequences, while additional security measures had been deployed in commercial locations.
