ISLAMABAD, March 31: Members of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday had a verbal clash during the National Assembly session following the remarks made by Federal Minister for Communications Babar Ghouri about the role of the religious leaders during the Afghan war.
It all started when People's Party Parliamentarians MNA Shagufta Jamani, while speaking on a point of order, raised the issue of Shaista Almani and demanded that the government protect the "daughter of Sindh".
Responding to the PPP MNA's point of order, Mr Ghouri, the only minister present in the house at that time, said that Shaista Almani was not a daughter of Sindh but she was a daughter of Pakistan and the government would take steps to provide her protection.
At this point, one of the MMA MNA alleged that the government was giving importance to Shaista Almani case because she belonged to Karachi. He said women were being kidnapped in other parts of the country but the government was not taking any action.
Mr Ghouri said the MMA member should know that Shaista Almani did not belong to Karachi. The minister said that he considered the religious leaders as true Islamic scholars but they were talking about divisions among the people.
He said Islam taught the lesson of equality and these religious leaders had been dividing the people. He also criticized the MMA for accusing the government of taking dictation from the United States.
He said these people were earlier receiving "dollars" from the US during the Afghan war. "Please, for God sake, change this duplicity", Mr Babar asked the MMA leadership.
On these remarks, several MMA members rose to their seats and shouted "liar, liar". Hafiz Hussain Ahmed asked the chairman not to allow Mr Ghouri to spoil the atmosphere.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader said if the minister was not stopped then he would be forced to "reveal the truth" that who had divided the people on the basis of Mohajirs and non-Mohajirs.
