...the word
bannedseems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all...
organizations while reiterating his demand that the government remove from the federal cabinet a trio of ministers who he accuses of having "long-held ties" with proscribed organizations.
"We doubt your intentions [of the promised crackdown against proscribed organizations] because you were allied with proscribed organizations [when you] fought elections," Bilawal said, referring to the ruling party.
"Everyone knows that three ministers in the cabinet have a long history with banned outfits. Until you remove them, we will keep doubting you," he said.
"One minister's video went viral on social media. He can be seen assuring them [leaders of a proscribed party] that 'we will not take action against you until our government is in place'.
"The other minister made inductions into the PTI from UN-banned organizations like HUM (Harkatul Mujahideen al-Islami) during the elections. He then said on the floor of the house that 'If you are speaking against banned outfits and the National Action Plan then that is against the country's interest.
"The third one not only has a long history of being associated with banned outfits, but he has also helped run bully boy outfits and training camps," the PPP leader alleged.
"Folks with this mentality should not be in the 'Naya Pakistain' cabinet," he said.
The 'viral video' Bilawal is referring to could possibly be one which features Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi giving assurances to a group of men.
In the video, which has been circulating on social media for quite some time, Afridi can be seen in the company of a group of men, one of whom briefs him about the authorities' plan to put the Milli Moslem League ‐ which had been the political front for the Jamaat-ud-Dawa
...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba...
‐ on a list of proscribed organizations.
To this, Afridi replies: "God willing, till we are in the assembly and till the PTI stands, no one can ... Forget Hafiz Saeed
...founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its false-mustache offshoot Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations declared the JuD a terrorist organization in 2008 and Hafiz Saeed a terrorist as its leader. Hafiz, JuD and LeT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pak intel apparatus, so that amounted to squat...
sahab, we will support whoever supports Pakistain and its [sovereign] right. This is our belief. It will be our request to you to come and sit in the assembly and see for yourself whether we [are the ones who] stand for the kalma-e-haq, or others do."
It bears mentioning that the government has stated as a matter of policy that it wishes to 'mainstream' bully boy groups by creating economic, social and political incentives to encourage them to give up violence as a way of life. This policy was unequivocally opposed by Bilawal in the National Assembly last week.