NAROWAL: Without naming anyone, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday regretted that the statement issued by a political party during the siege of Jaffar Express was the same as was released by the terrorists as well as carried by the Indian media.

“I ask that political party who its loyalty is with. It’s regretful that the political party is against the interests of the country,” said the minister while talking to reporters after condoling with the family of Akmal Hussain in Shakargarh. Akmal of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom while fighting terrorists during the attack on Jaffar Express.

In an apparent reference to a statement by JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman that they would consider forging an alliance with PTI for launching a movement against the government after Eid, Mr Iqbal said Pakistan does not need any grand alliance. He said economy is picking up and IMF has expressed satisfaction over the government’s efforts to achieving its goals.

He described the attack on Jaffar Express as a cowardly act and expressed the resolve to root out terrorism.

Ahsan slams party that ‘a(chǎn)dopted same stance as terrorists’ during train siege

The armed forces, security agencies, the government and people are all united for the elimination of terrorism from the country, he added.

Mr Iqbal pledged that terrorism will be crushed as was done during the previous PML-N government and peace will be restored.

While criticising the unidentified political party, he asked them, “Are you with terrorists or with protectors of Pakistan”.

He said the enemies of Pakistan got training abroad to carry out terrorist attacks in the country, adding that in such a situation even countries like the United States and Russia became helpless.

The minister recalled that countries around the world as well as United Nations had strongly condemned the attack on Jaffar Express.

The minister said that the issue had also been taken up with the Afghan government, adding that no one had the right to allow terrorists to use their soil for carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.

The minister while criticising the previous PTI government said that Imran Khan had brought Pakistan to the verge of bankruptcy during his four-year term in office and Pakistan had become a joke to the outside world.

“We have worked hard to put the country on road to development,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025