ISLAMABAD - Civilians are not terrorists and they must not be pushed against the wall, said Asma Jehangir yesterday.

The former president of Supreme Court Bar Association was talking to media persons after attending the lawyers’ protest against Quetta blast in front of the Parliament House yesterday. She said lawyers, journalists and politicians are not the traitors. She added when 10 years ago they had warned against supporting Taliban in Afghanistan and had said that after the war they will come back to Pakistan and start terrorist activities in the country, they were termed traitors but their advice proved true.

Criticising the ISPR statement that the attack was a reaction to CPEC project, Asma asked why lawyers were attacked when they are neither against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor nor have any vested interests in the project. She termed the ISPR statement irresponsible, adding: “You (security forces) should keep eye on the ball.”

The human rights activist stressed the need for learning lesson from the past. She said when questions are asked about the performance of security forces in the war against terrorism then such people are termed as traitors.

Asma said the forces are often honoured with salutes, but there are no salutes for civilians. She said Pakistan is not Libya or Iraq, adding; “We have been raising voice and struggling against the injustice and terrorism since long and will not sit quite.”

She said the military establishment demanded military courts, internment centres and tougher laws, which the politicians and the lawyers accepted.

She said if it is claimed that Indian intelligence agency RAW was involved in Quetta carnage then the security forces should arrest RAW agents in Balochistan, adding civilian can’t ask Indian Premier Narendra Modi to arrest RAW agents.

Asma defended Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s statement on Quetta blast on the floor of National Assembly, saying he was right in demanding that the intelligence agencies must unmask the real culprits behind the tragic incident. ”If the voice coming from Parliament is suppressed, how the country will be run?” she added. She also asked if all the politicians except Imran Khan are traitors. The former SCBA chief said the lawyers from Balochistan told her that she could speak against the security agencies but they couldn’t.

She said there is a great difference between situation in Indian Held Kashmir and Balochistan, adding in IHK severe human rights violation are being committed by Indian forces as they are trying to suppress freedom struggle there, while in Balochistan people are not demanding freedom but are seeking peace and due rights.