LAHORE, Aug 9: Speakers at Pakistan National Forum seminar here on Wednesday took strong exception to Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmad’s remarks about Lebanese Prime Minister’s crying at the Israeli aggression of his country and the heavy loss of life and property caused by it saying that the remarks amounted to insult of the prime minister.

Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmad Khan said the Air Chief Marshal had reportedly said Pakistan was not a weak country and its prime minister would not have to cry like his Lebanese counterpart in the event of any adventurism against Pakistan.

He said Pakistan had already cried a lot when it was dismembered in 1971 and now “nothing is left to cry.”

Such remarks against a Muslim country’s prime minister were undesirable, humiliating and insulting. Despite all odds and difficulties and shortage of weapons, the Hezbollah fighters were valiantly fighting and kept engaged a powerful country for about a month now. It was a great struggle of the people of Lebanon and their prime minister did not deserve such a sarcastic statement, Mr Khan added.

Former corps. commander Lt-Gen Naseer Akhtar (retired) said the air chief should not have made the remarks against the Lebanese prime minister whose people had shown a great courage against Israel. “We should forgive the air chief for his remarks.”

Punjab PPP president Qasim Zia demanded immediate

ceasefire in Lebanon and settlement of dispute through negotiations.

He said the Muslim countries should have moved to stop the war. Their rulers should have responded to the voice of their people and taken measures to stop the war.

Other speakers included Rana Ikram Rabbani, Maj Gen Hakim Arshad Qureshi (retired), Prof Akram Chaudhry, Mian Afzal Hayat, Dr Iqbal Wahla, Col Wasif Fasihuddin Wardag (retired), Khaksar Tehrik leader Hameeduddin Al-Mashriqi and National Forum president Col Ikramullah (retired).