KARACHI: Sedition cases will be pursued, says Moin
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 9: The government will pursue sedition cases against the interned chiefs of Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat-i-Ulema Pakistan, said interior minister Moinuddin Haider on Friday.
Anyone challenging the writ of the government, working against the national interest and trying to incite the armed forces would be dealt with sternly, said Mr Haider at a news conference.
“If anybody challenged the writ of the state from the pulpit of a mosque or from a political platform, he will be prosecuted,” he stated.
Sedition cases have, so far, been instituted against the JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and the JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.
Mr Haider did not say when the government would move the court.
Things have gone beyond “anti-American or pro-Taliban”, said the minister, adding “any statement against the government which would put the integrity of the state at stake would be intolerable”.
He believed that the “religious extremists” had resorted to extreme measures as they were not sure of their future.
Mr Haider informed that three protesters were killed when they attacked the police in Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday. He said four other protesters and three policemen were injured in the clashes.
He said clashes started after a police van carrying some religious leaders came under mob attack.
The mob set it on fire and attacked the police.
“It is an unfortunate incident and the government deeply regrets it,” he said.
He said in some other parts of the country also sporadic cases of violence had been reported, but the law-enforcement agencies promptly controlled the situation and restored normal traffic and train services.
About the strike, he said it was a national holiday and a Friday also, and the people by and large rejected the agenda of those who called for a strike and supported the government policy.
But when pressed whether he would call the strike a success or a failure, he evaded a categorical answer and said planes flew and transport was also seen on roads.
The interior minister said for the past many weeks, the Pakistan-Afghan Defence Council had been protesting and making their point of view known to the world.
Now in these protests, in which bombings in Afghanistan were criticized and an immediate halt on them was demanded, the religious parties have started challenging the government which was very strange because President General Pervez Musharraf had been pleading the same things in his meeting with the world leaders at home and abroad.
He said that the government was not oblivious to the plight of the Afghans, and had also conveyed such feelings to world leaders.
Moinuddin Haider said so far the government had remained cautious, but if any group or individual talks of civil disobedience, it would be considered “very serious”. The government, he said, tried to remain tolerant and would remain so until the demonstrations are disciplined.
He said that the government would not allow anyone to spread anarchy and destabilise the country by inciting the armed forces and urging the jawans to act against their leader on the pretext that he had no justification to remain their commander after supporting the American-led coalition.
He said the Supreme Court had given mandate to the armed forces as per which the elections will be held in October next and the army would return to the barracks.
He referred to specified places notified by the government for staging rallies throughout the country and said the religious parties were asked to avail of that facility and not to disrupt civil life because it would cast a negative impact on the economy.
He reiterated the government’s declared policy that Pakistan’s soil was not being used for attacks on Afghanistan.
He said it was surprising that the aircraft dropping bombs in Afghanistan were also taking off from some Muslim and Arab countries, but no such protest rallies are being held there.
To a question, he said following stringent measures by the government, the number of Afghan refugees taking part in protest rallies in Pakistan had become negligible.
In this context, he referred to deportation of some Afghans recently.
Moinuddin Haider said Pakistan had tried many times to impress upon Taliban to respond to the concerns of the international community.
BENAZIR BHUTTO: When asked whether the government would arrest the PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on her return to Pakistan for appearing in a court case, Moinuddin Haider indicated that the government would not do so.
“She has been the prime minister twice and will not run away. Why will we arrest such a person if she herself is ready to appear and cooperate with the court. She is not the kind of a person who will run away,” said the interior minister amid reports of sort of understanding or a deal between government and the PPP.
The minister said that the government was trying its best and even holding dialogue with the religious leaders to avoid use of force or clash of protesters with the law-enforcers, adds APP.
“People suffered a lot in Gilgit and Skardu due to disruption in supply of regular ration,” he said and added that law-breakers would be dealt with severely at any cost.
About the arrest and handing over of the foreigners, he said that the government has enhanced vigilance on borders and was taking all measures to keep an eye on wanted persons who were allegedly involved in any act of terrorism in any part of the world.
