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LAHORE, May 18 (APP):Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has said “our challenge has become bigger after defeating India”.
Addressing a Bunyan-um-Marsoos thanksgiving ceremony, he stated that while the enemy faced defeat, they were not sitting idle. “They believed that acquisition of Rafale jets and other advanced technologies would give them an upper hand, but they were mistaken. Now they are preparing for the future — and so must we,” he said.
He highlighted that nations only progress when they think proactively about their future. He praised Nawaz Sharif for making Pakistan a nuclear power in 1998 and credited Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif with bringing significant economic development to the country. “Under the leadership of the prime minister, a youth magazine titled Spark has been launched as part of the youth programme. Our children must be equipped with the best training to ensure success in the economic arena,” he added.
Rana Mashhood expressed admiration for both PML-N leaders: “I have not seen a more patriotic politician than Nawaz Sharif, nor a more dedicated leader for education and youths than Shehbaz Sharif. I have witnessed Shehbaz Sharif shedding tears for the future of our children. We have laid out a clear roadmap for their educational training,” he added.
Referring to recent political developments, he remarked: “Only one prime minister has been ousted through a constitutional and legal process. However, the youth — who should have been respectful — were turned toward rudeness, casting doubts on Pakistan’s future.” He criticised the tone of the 2018 and 2024 elections, claiming that “rudeness became a political tool.” He called Shehbaz Sharif’s assumption of power in 2022 a significant achievement, especially in the light of Shaukat Tareen’s public statement that year suggesting Pakistan was nearing bankruptcy. “Now is the time to decide: are you with Pakistan, or against it?” he added.
He alleged that India had written to the IMF, requesting that Pakistan be denied its loan tranche, and questioned, “What is the difference between India and this political party?” Referring to national security, he added, “Our soldiers are sacrificing their lives at the borders, while Indian media continuously aired negative political statements from within Pakistan.”
He stressed the importance of distinguishing between political opposition and national defence: “There must be a line between politics and national security. The nation must decide who the real traitors are.”
He went on to assert that while Pakistan’s enemies launched attacks that missed their targets, “All of our strikes hit the mark. We could have shot down more Indian planes, but we acted with restraint. We only targeted those that entered our airspace. We sent a clear message to the world: no one can look at Pakistan with malice.”
Highlighting Pakistan’s cybersecurity capabilities, he said, “Even though India is considered a leader in IT, we managed to block their systems.” He concluded by warning of internal threats: “The time has come to expose the traitors within. We are compiling a list, which will soon be presented to the nation.” Drawing parallels to conflicts in Palestine, Syria, and Libya, he said there was an effort to destabilise Pakistan through similar tactics. “We thwarted Modi’s arrogance. We openly demanded a neutral investigation into the Pahalgam attack, with which we had no connection. Our youth desire development and prosperity — yet our enemies imposed terrorism upon us.”