Civil-military Relations Comfortable Now: PM

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Feb, 2018 ) :Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday said the civil military relations were now comfortable with no difference on policy matters as both the sides were making unanimous decisions in the National Security Committee meetings.

�Reservations are always there. This happens across the world. The relationship is developing and this process will continue to move ahead,� the prime minister said in an interview with a private television news channel (Geo News).

He said hours-long deliberations and interactions at the NSC meetings helped resolve the national issues. To a question about the differing viewpoint of Mehmood Khan Achakzai on civil-military relations, the prime minister termed it his (Achakzai�s) personal opinion.

Prime Minister said neither he changed his political loyalties from PML-N to any other party nor ever thought so. He said those who had deserted the party in the past could have achieved better stature while being the part of the party.

It was party�s decision to accept back the deserters, he added. After Panama issue, the prime minister said there had been instability but the government could not let it hamper the course of national development.

Even presently, the government was inaugurating two mega development projects every week which would not complete till June. He said the government had made legislation for FATA reforms, put ban on licensing of automatic weapons.

Now the government was in the process to bring tax reforms to generate more revenues besides making the people responsible citizens. He said there was no room for attacking the judiciary or the military and he had also advised against any such statements both in the cabinet as well as the parliamentary party meetings.

He was of the view that the politicians do not intentionally attack the court but sometime, they say something out of emotions, so such statements should be seen in that particular context. Asked whether the government would bring Pervez Musharraf back, the prime minister said he had gone abroad for medical treatment after he was allowed to travel abroad.

He said if court orders to bring him back, the process would be accelerated. About the government change in Balochistan, he said the aggrieved PML-N parliamentarians should have raised their issues either before the chief minister or the prime minister.

He said such actions in no way benefited the democracy rather undermined the stature of those who had been part of this act. He said Nawaz Sharif had strongly opposed the use of money to buy Senate votes and viewed that the PML-N would name and shame those who would become Senate members using their wealth despite having no political backing in the province.

To a question, the prime minister said the party�s top forums including the Central Working Party and the Central Executive Committee would decide the candidate for next prime ministerial slot.

About his interaction with Bilawal Bhutto in Davos, he said the PPP Chairman and party leader Sherry Rehman were in the front row in a forum addressed by him which gave the world a message that the country�s political parties were united on economic front.

Regarding US President Donald Trump�s claim of giving $33 billion, the prime minister said if they desired Pakistan to give account of the amount, they should formally write to them. However, this is never a practice in states relations, he added.

To a question, he said Pakistan always supported talks with India and the meeting of Kalbhushan Jhadav with his family was a humanitarian gesture. About probe into Mumbai attacks, he said India had never provided evidences to Pakistan on the subject.

He said Afghan issue could only be resolved by Afghans and Pakistan was directly impacted by any unrest in Afghanistan as the country still hosted three millions refugees. He opined that in fact India was frustrated over ongoing indigenous movement in Occupied Kashmir which was getting beyond its control.

Asked why SSP Rao Anwar who had not yet been arrested for his involvement in alleged fake encounter, the Prime Minister said he must be detained as extra judicial killings were no solution to any issue.

He suggested that being a senior police officer, Rao Anwar should surrender and face the law as by absconding, he was becoming guilty in the public eye. Asked whether he flew F-16 aircraft, the prime minister said he had a license of commercial pilot since 1977 and the aircrafts are flown on same principles. He also recalled his experiences of skydiving and submarine diving.