Terrorists used Pakistan's soil: Opposition censures Imran for his remarks in Iran

The opposition in National Assembly Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying his statement in Iran hit the national security of Pakistan and "made us a laughing stock in front of everyone." The prime minister came under a blistering attack by the main opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP), in the Lower House of the Parliament for giving a statement in a meeting in Tehran in which he said that terrorists had in the past misused Pakistani territory to launch attacks against Iran and that Germany and Japan share a border.
However, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari defended the Prime Minister, saying his statement is being quoted out of context and it was just a slip of tongue.
While speaking at an event in Tehran during his two-day official visit, the prime minister said: "The more trade you have with each other, your ties automatically become stronger... Germany and Japan killed millions of their civilians until after World War-II when they both decided to have joint industries on their border regions." Speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after their bilateral talks, the prime minister said: "I know Iran has suffered from terrorism [perpetrated] by groups operating from Pakistan. ...we [need to] have trust in each other that both the countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil."
PML-N leader Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan said that Prime Minister's statement is very concerning and it can damage the image of Pakistan at international level. He said that Pakistan is already in litigation at international level and such statements can create more difficulties for it. The PML-N leader said, "No prime minister has ever made such a confession on foreign soil."
He said, "On the other hand, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has stated that terrorists had entered from Iran to carry out activities in Balochistan." The rumpus started when Dastgir drew the attention of the House towards the reported statement of the Prime Minister in connection with misuse of Pakistani soil against Iran. Dastgir said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already linked the bailout package for Islamabad to the findings of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). He said, "Pakistan is exposed internationally by such statements."
He said that Imran Khan had also suggested that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election can help move towards a settlement over occupied Kashmir. He also alleged that the prime minister in a public meeting had also said, "I can shake hand with Modi but not with the opposition." He said, "The Prime Minister has committed diplomatic blunders through his statements, which hit the national security of Pakistan."
Dastgir said, "The Prime Minister must come to the Parliament to give explanation of the objections raised by the opposition in the House." Former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar of the PPP said, "This was not a slip of tongue. The prime minister has distorted both the geography and history for all of us."
He said that the prime minister had gone at length to explain how Germany and Japan are neighbours and how after World War-II, they shared a border. "History tells us that both [Germany and Japan] were on the same side but the Prime Minister is telling us they were adversaries. Japan is located in East Asia while Germany is located in Europe," she added. She said, "He is the Prime Minister of a country and has made us a laughing stock in front of everyone. There is a need of training for the prime minister."
"You cannot make these stupid statements and expect us to stand behind you," Khar said. "We are worried about the country after seeing it continually becoming a laughing stock," she said. "This is not funny anymore. You cannot play with the destiny of the country anymore," she added. While defending the prime minister, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that only half of the Prime Minister's sentence, which is taken out of context, is being repeated.
"It was a slip of the tongue. The Prime Minister wanted to say Germany and France and not Germany and Japan," she said. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri then gave the floor to Communication Minister Murad Saeed, but the opposition members started protesting loudly. They demanded that instead of Saeed, the Prime Minister should himself come to the Parliament to make a statement.
The opposition gathered in front of the speaker's dais when he allowed the minister to continue. They kept shouting "no baby no" as a way of mocking Saeed, and "Go Niazi Go" in reference to the Prime Minister throughout Saeed's address. They also tore copies of the agenda.
He said that the opposition parties are making hue and cry against the accountability process. He said that the looted money will be recovered. He said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Khan, the country's image has improved significantly and it has come out of isolation. He said that the top PPP leadership has no understanding of the country's problems. Hitting back at the PPP, Saeed said, "You appointed Husain Haqqani as ambassador to the United States. Even today, he is making statements against the country."