The Minister of Defense, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) on Thursday for propagating a “false story” concerning the recent terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express.
Speaking in the National Assembly, the Asif accused PTI’s social media platforms to distort the tragic incident and undermine national unity by promoting disinformation.
Asif expressed pain in the loss of innocent lives in the attack and criticized the PTI for misinterpreting the situation. He specifically underlined how the social media accounts affiliated with PTI-Affiliés claimed that the terrorists had released the hostages, instead of recognizing the sacrifices made by the armed forces in the rescue operation.
He also accused the leaders of the PTI living abroad of continuing to criticize national institutions while avoiding responsibility.
The Minister of Defense described PTI leaders as products of previous military regimes, highlighting their support for martial law and constitutional violations in the past.
Khawaja Asif admitted that his party also supported a military regime in the past, but stressed that they had the decency to recognize their past mistakes. He urged all political leaders to learn historic failures to advance the country.
Asif has condemned PTI attempts to politicize terrorism and national security, stressing that politics should not come before Pakistan’s integrity.
He called on leaders to put aside personal interests and to recognize the sacrifices of the armed forces in the fight against terrorism.
The declaration comes after the security forces carried out a two -day operation to neutralize the terrorists who had diverted the Jaffar Express.
The event started on Tuesday when separatist activists set an ambush at the Jaffar Express en route de Quetta in Peshawar, exploding the railway and attacking the train with rockets.
