ISLAMABAD, May 13: Translating a fiery debate into a milder resolution, the National Assembly on Friday condemned the reported sacrilege of the holy Quran at a US prison and called for an inquiry to bring the guilty to justice. A poorly-attended sitting of the lower house unanimously passed the compromise resolution agreed between the ruling and opposition parties after a three-day debate marked by religious fervour and severe criticism of the United States and Pakistan’s role in the so-called war against terrorism.
While most speakers from opposition parties accused the government of following US policies at the cost of national honour and interests, their demands ranged from a policy review by Islamabad to an American apology and trial in Pakistan of US soldiers accused of the sacrilege at Guantanamo Bay. The demand for apology contained in an opposition draft of the resolution was dropped from the final text because of government objections, opposition sources said.
But the sources said the government agreed to some other strongly worded expressions because its members in the house at the time were in a minority and unable to force their will. Most members of the 342-seat house seemed to have lost interest in the debate after three days of speeches — on Monday, Tuesday and Friday — and less than 40 of them were present when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi moved the joint resolution.
The attendance was not even half of the required quorum of one-fourth, or 86 members, but the proceedings remained in order because nobody pointed out the lack of quorum. The resolution said the National Assembly was “deeply dismayed and shocked” by the May 9 Newsweek magazine report about the alleged desecration of the holy Quran and “highly objectionable and regrettable treatment meted out to the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison”.
“The reported act of sacrilege has shocked the people of every faith all around the world,” it said.
“The National Assembly condemns the sad incident and demands that an inquiry be conducted by USA to bring to justice the perpetrators who committed this shameful act,” said the resolution that carried signatures of representatives of all ruling coalition and opposition parties.
Winding up the debate earlier after about 40 speeches on Friday — from a total of about 100 during the entire debate — Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar said the joint stance of the house would be an obvious proof of a functioning democracy although opposition parties used the occasion to target the government and give the issue a political colour.
He recalled the moves made by the foreign ministry to convey Pakistan’s sentiments to the United States and US assurances for an inquiry, and said a statement by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about respect for sacred books and that no disrespect to the holy Quran would ever be tolerated clearly stated sentiments of the US government.
“We have done what was required to be done and we will do (in future) what is required to be done,” he said about his ministry.
Most of 40 speakers on Friday were from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, some of whom asked the government to demand extradition to Pakistan of US soldiers involved in the incident so they could be tried under Pakistani laws.
Environment Minister Tahir Iqbal credited what he called a unity shown by the house for a US promise for inquiry and asked the opposition not to politicize the issue. The MMA members were in full cry in denouncing the United States, one of them predicting a Muslim dominance there in some distant future and another calling for revenge.
“This century will be the century of Islam and a day will come when the banner of Islam will fly on the White House,” said MMA’s Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair.
“There no need to complain to the enemy, it is necessary to take revenge, it is necessary to launch jihad against it,” said another MMA member Maulana Abdul Hakim from the NWFP.
A woman MMA member, Shahida Akhtar Ali, said those defiling the holy Quran outside Pakistan should be punished in the same manner as those committing such act inside the country, and called for a fatwa against them similar to one issued by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni against Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses. After the passage of the resolution, the house was adjourned until 5pm on Monday.
ISLAMABAD, May 13: Translating a fiery debate into a milder resolution, the National Assembly on Friday condemned the reported sacrilege of the holy Quran at a US prison and called for an inquiry to bring the guilty to justice. A poorly-attended sitting of the lower house unanimously passed the compromise resolution agreed between the ruling and opposition parties after a three-day debate marked by religious fervour and severe criticism of the United States and Pakistan’s role in the so-called war against terrorism.
