'Brought terror back to Pakistan': Deputy PM hits out at Imran Khan regime, former ISI chief's 'misguided' security decisions

Islamabad, Sep 8 : Linking the current violence in Balochistan province and other restive areas to security decisions taken by the previous Imran Khan government, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar accused it of bringing terror back to the country.

He also questioned then ISI chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hamid's trip to Kabul in September 2021, where the country's top spymaster was caught on camera sipping tea and telling reporters that "everything will be fine."

"The country is paying a heavy price for that cup of tea in Afghanistan," Dar said at a press conference at the Pakistan High Commission in London, without explicitly naming Hamid, Pakistani media reports said. He blamed the former ISI chief for releasing terrorists and allowing them back into the country.

"What happened after that? Over 100 hardened criminals were released, they have now become commanders. They are the masterminds behind terror attacks today in Pakistan. Nearly 40,000 of those who had fled during Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zerb-e-Azb were allowed back to Pakistan. Today’s terror is linked to that," he said, blaming the decision for the current violence in Balochistan.

To a question whether the ISI chief went to Kabul at that time with the permission of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, Dar said: "I find it difficult to accept that he could have gone without the permission of the Prime Minister. We are working with the security establishment on issues today, these things are not possible without the Prime Minister’s approval."

However, Dar, who also has charge of Foreign Affairs, was quick to praise the current military leadership, especially army chief, Gen Asim Munir and ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.

"They deserve the highest accolades for being high-class professionals. They are completely apolitical and they want to see Pakistan on the right track. The army chief’s agenda is Pakistan. This is a very good omen for Pakistan. There is a clear agenda for Pakistan and it is reflected through his words and actions. There is cohesion of this agenda as far as the government and the military leadership are concerned. They are not interested in any politics."

Dar's criticism of the previous PTI regime extended beyond security concerns to the economic challenges Pakistan faces.

He accused the previous government of poor governance, which he claimed had led to the decline of Pakistan's global economic ranking. "By 2017, Pakistan had become the 24th largest economy in the world. However, due to the mismanagement of the post-2018 government, our rank fell to 47th by 2022," Dar lamented.

He stressed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, had worked hard to tackle the country's biggest challenges, including extremism, electricity shortages, and economic instability.

Dar also denied that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif had taken a back seat, saying he was fully active.

"He is fully active, leading the party. He has got Shehbaz Sharif as the PM to lead the team. The federal and Punjab governments are acting upon his advice. He says we will pay any price, politically, to fix the country. We are working under his guidance," he added.

On the diplomatic front, Dar expressed optimism about the future of UK-Pakistan relations, which he described as having moved past a "cold shoulder" phase.

During his visit to London, Dar engaged in discussions with British officials, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, on a range of issues, including trade, Kashmir, Gaza, and the rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe.

The Deputy Prime Minister also addressed the challenges facing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the efforts to resume flights to and from the UK, which were suspended following an irresponsible statement by a minister from the previous government.

He revealed that the government is working on privatising PIA and outsourcing Islamabad International Airport, with the process expected to be completed by next month.

In response to questions about Imran Khan's potential trial in a military court, Dar insisted that the former Prime Minister's case would proceed according to the law, particularly concerning the attacks on military installations during the May 9 riots.

He dismissed any notion of backdoor negotiations with Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, stating that the government's "hands are tied" following the violent incidents.