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Pakistan to take up issue of Afghan nationals’ involvement in extortion

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  • CTD arrests two TTP militants involved in extorting politicians.
  • CTD official says TTP extorting businessmen, politicians, others.
  • Arrested TTP militants are Afghan nationals, says CTD official.

Pakistan plans to take up the issue of Afghan nationals’ involvement in extorting Pakistani citizens once again, a top official said Tuesday, as Islamabad ramps up efforts to safeguard its people from cross-border threats.

The authorities have time and again mentioned that Afghan citizens were involved in terrorism, extortion, and other illicit activities in Pakistan, asking the neighbouring nation to take action against such elements.

In a press conference in Peshawar, DIG Counter Terrorism Finance Imran Shahid said the Pakistani side has decided to raise the matter of Afghan citizens’ involvement in extortion with the interim Taliban government in Kabul.

The top official mentioned that the authorities have arrested two extortionists, who belong to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — the banned group that Pakistan says has safe havens in Afghanistan.

“Zaman Faiz and Saeedullah, who were arrested, are Afghan citizens. They were arrested from Lahore and we have also seized their mobile phones,” he said.

The extortionists demanded money from businessmen, politicians, and other people — as people opted against complaining to the local authorities out of fear.

“The arrested people operated in district Mohmand; they have 71 other accomplices. This network has also called politicians (including a senator and a member of provincial assembly) seeking extortion money.”

The CTD official mentioned that the arrested TTP members have also made 10 WhatsApp groups related to extortion.

The banned TTP was crushed through military operations in 2014, after a brazen attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which killed nearly 150 people, mostly pupils.

The TTP were largely routed, their fighters fleeing to Afghanistan where they were hunted by US-led forces.

But after Afghanistan was back under Taliban rule, Pakistan says that it has become a “safe haven” for the TTP terrorists, who are also involved in attacks on military personnel.

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According to Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, accusations made against Pakistan by Bushra Bibi, the spouse of the PTI founder, are vile and disgusting because Pakistan has historical relations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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The defense minister stated at a press conference in Islamabad that the Kingdom should not be involved in politics for selfish reasons because of our historical, religious, and economic ties with Saudi Arabia.

2.8 million Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia and send millions of dollars in remittances, he added, adding that making unfounded accusations against the country will hurt Pakistan’s economy.

According to him, Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan throughout its most trying moments, and Pakistanis have a deep affection and connection to the Kingdom.

There is a breach among PTI ranks and files, and Khawaja Asif stated that we have never witnessed such a low point in politics.

Given the gravity of the accusation, the Minister said, former Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa should respond right away.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should fight terrorism rather than target the city, he said, adding that the PTI’s demand for a demonstration on November 24 is the third strike on the federal capital.

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The Interior Ministry prohibits KP from using government machinery for PTI protests.

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not allowed to use the resources of the Provincial Government for a party protest, according to the Interior Ministry.

On November 24, the PTI has scheduled a protest, and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur has declared his intention to participate.

The Federal Government arrested a number of Provincial Government officials who were ordered to participate in the violent protest in Islamabad by the PTI, and confiscated vehicles used by the KP Government against the state during the previous protest in October.

However, the Jinnah Supermarket Traders Union has petitioned the Islamabad High Court to halt the PTI demonstration in the capital and deem it unlawful.

In the petition, the head of the Traders Union has asked the court to rule that the PTI protest violates fundamental human rights by preventing companies from operating and removing the public’s ability to visit stores for necessities.

The petition asked the high court to protect the capital’s workers and PTI founder from unlawful protests.

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Planning Minister: The Nation Is Back on Track for Development

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Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, asserts that the country’s youth are its future and that Pakistan has made great strides over the past 77 years, becoming the sixth nuclear state in the world today.

Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated that inconsistent policies have an impact on the development process.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the CPEC got Pakistan on its path to growth, and the government is currently moving on with phase two of the project.

The country was in danger of defaulting, but the government has put it back on course, he said.

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