‘Opposition should reschedule march due to terror threat, Covid-19’

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said on Monday that the opposition leaders should reschedule their protest march due to the terror threat and upsurge of COVID-19 cases.

Sheikh Rasheed, while responding to a motion in the Senate on Monday, neither terrorism will be allowed in the country nor any compromise will be made on the solidarity of Pakistan.

He said the government is ready to talk to any person within the ambit of the constitution and law. He, however, made it clear that no talks with anyone are taking place at the moment, Radio Pakistan reported.

Keeping in view the recent incidents of terrorism, upcoming meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and surge in Covid cases, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed urged the opposition to reschedule their protest march from March 23 this year to any other appropriate date.

He said there will be a very high profile movement on Pakistan Day falling on 23rd of March this year, including parade of the armed forces and OIC Foreign Ministers meeting, and the opposition should reschedule its protest march.

The interior minister said Indian RAW has hired Pakistani people to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan and the government is aware of it and is taking appropriate steps in this regard.

Talking about the fence along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said around 200 kilometres of the frontier in Balochistan has yet not been fenced.

Sheikh Rasheed said Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is monitoring the terrorist activities in Sindh and Punjab, while this job is being looked after by the 10 and 11 corps of the Pakistan Army in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The Upper House passed two resolutions.

The first resolution recommended that on the analogy of the pilot project of construction of one kilometre of plastic road in Islamabad, the Federal Government should take steps to construct plastic roads under the domain of National Highways throughout the country.

The second resolution urged the government to grant two years age relaxation in all Federal Government and Public Sector jobs in view of the Covid-19 situation and lockdowns throughout the country during the last two years.

The House also offered Fateha for the deceased brother of Senator Dost Muhammad. Senator Atta Ur Rehman led the prayer.

The House will now meet again on Tuesday at 11 am.