No person, outfit will be allowed to carry out terror acts using Pak soil: PM Imran Khan

Islamabad, Mar 09: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no person or organisation would be allowed to carry out terror acts in other countries by using the soil of Pakistan, a media report said Saturday.

Addressing his first public gathering on Friday in Thar district of the Sindh province since becoming the prime minister, Khan said his government is fully committed to protecting religious minorities across the country," the Dawn newspaper quoted him as saying.

Prime Minister Khan said his government was acting upon the teachings of the country's founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah who had called for ensuring full protection to all races and religions in Pakistan.

Khan has said that no person or organisation would be allowed to carry out terror acts in other countries by using the soil of Pakistan. His comments came as Pakistan is under global pressure to act against terrorism and militant groups operating from its soil after the Pulwama terror attack.

Pakistan authorities on Thursday sealed the Lahore headquarters of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its charity wing Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and detained over 120 suspected militants as part of an ongoing crackdown on banned groups.

The confiscation of properties of JuD and FIF had come after Pakistan formally placed them in the list of banned organisations on Tuesday.

Khan also said that "in case of any misadventure by India, the armed forces and people of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond in a befitting manner", adding that his priority is to fight poverty.

Tensions heightened between India and Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF personnel. The suicide attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit.

After the attack, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial confrontation and captured Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

PTI