Pakistan shall defend civil servants from violent trolls, ensure "exemplary punishment": Caretaker PM Kakar
Feb 19, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], February 19 : Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday said that Pakistan shall defend the civil servants in discharging their constitutional duties, act against violent trolls and "ensure exemplary punishment.".
The statement from the caretaker PM's office came days after Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha confessed to his "involvement in rigging election results in the city", and resigned from his post demanding to be "hanged for doing injustice" to the Rawalpindi Division, The Express Tribune reported.
Moreover, Chattha, in a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, claimed that 13 candidates from Pindi were forcefully declared winners, adding that "we gave the losing candidates leads of 50,000 votes".
"The State of Pakistan shall defend the civil servants in discharging their constitutional duties, act against these violent trolls and ensure exemplary punishment," he stated.
Caretaker PM Kakar further stated that the people of Pakistan have spoken with a clear voice on February 8 and have given a split mandate.
Additionally, he noted that some elements with proven track records of violent behaviour and vigilantism are now using different tricks in pressurising civil servants to switch their loyalties.
"Some elements with proven track records of violent behaviour and vigilantism are now using different tricks including weaponisation of social media in blackmailing and pressurising civil servants to switch their loyalties from the State of Pakistan to the violent gang," he said in a post shared on X.
https://x.com/PakPMO/status/1759573110938898730?s=20
"This action is a clear violation of Article 5 and other articles of the Constitution and the laws of the land," the post added.
Furthermore, PM Kakar stated that "there should be no doubt about these noble civil servants" serving the State and the people of Pakistan.
Earlier on Monday, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and nominee for the Punjab chief minister's slot, indirectly referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, warned that legal action would be taken against those who were inciting the bureaucracy to break the law, according to The Express Tribune.
Maryam further wrote on social media 'X' that threatening the bureaucracy meant creating chaos in the state system, and an open indulgence in this practice was an invitation to disaster.
Addressing the bureaucracy, she added that officers should not be intimidated by threats and perform their duties according to the law, The Express Tribune reported.
The PML-N leader continued that those who threatened the security of the officers would be dealt with "iron hands".
