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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday appealed to the estranged Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) not to incite people’s sentiments by giving religious colour to political issues.
Speaking at a news conference a day after MQM observed a ‘black day’ in Sindh against a controversial statement of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, PPP’s Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan expressed surprise over the MQM’s move to use religion to achieve political objectives, saying: “We did not expect this from the MQM.”
Flanked by senior party leaders, Mr Ahsan also hit out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership for using “foul language” against the PPP leadership in its public meetings, warning the PPP workers might not remain silent all the time.
Mr Ahsan said the PPP had always believed that parties like MQM, ANP and the BNP were against all sorts of extremism and would never use religion in political matters. He said the use of religion by progressive parties was a matter of concern for all of them.
PTI warned against using ‘foul language’ against PPP leadership
“There seems to be no justification to incite people after a clarification by Khurshid Shah about his statement,” Aitzaz Ahsan said. He said MQM had the right to make a demand for the creation of new provinces. However, he added, the demand should only be made through constitutional means.
In reply to a question about the perception that the PPP had double standards on the issue of new provinces because of its different stance in Punjab and Sindh, Mr Ahsan said the party was against the division of Sindh as the provincial assembly had opposed it through resolutions. On the other hand, he said, the Punjab Assembly had passed resolutions for the creation of a province comprising southern areas.
Prominent among those present at the news conference were Raza Rabbani, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nazar Gondal, Taj Haider, Saeed Ghani, Shazia Marri, Chaudhry Manzoor, Nargis Faiz Malik and Nazir Dhoki.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2014
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Comments (28) Closed
Oct 28, 2014 09:30am
This man himself is able for being impeached in the Parliament along with Ch. Nisar Sahib. They both accused each other for serious corruption. Ch. Nisar is better in a sense that he offer to make a commission for those allegations but this man, so called (top lawyer) does not bother to clarify the allegations. He is a servant material of Bilawal now after serving Ch. Iftikhar.
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Oct 28, 2014 09:41am
I agree with Aitzaz. I didn't expect MQM to play the religion card in their protest against PPP. Accusing Khurshid Shah of blasphemy is legitimizing this horrible law.
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Oct 28, 2014 09:41am
PPP’s Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan should insist keeping Chaudhrys out of politics by being the first one to resign from politics. He is talking because he has no importance in PPP anymore and wants to show that he is still there. Where MQM is a party of people love to torture themselves and then blame other for causing the pain. PPP and MQM are failed parties with failed ideologies
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Oct 28, 2014 09:47am
The more things change, the more they stay the same!
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Oct 28, 2014 09:48am
To describe the sanctity of the word ' Mohajir ' by giving religious references is not involving religion in politics.But if Aitazaz Ahsan is doing politics by asking MQM to refrain from using religion,he is infact himself using religion to do politics.May I also ask him as to why Bilawal and PPP is using religion to do politics when they arranged Diwali-( a hindu religious function) in his house in Larkana?.
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Oct 28, 2014 09:55am
This is the fate of this country religion is always used and exploited
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Oct 28, 2014 09:57am
First keep religion out of the constitution !
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Oct 28, 2014 10:01am
if that is the case... do you have the courage to tell in assembly or in senate to keep the religion out of the country and politics... let us see what response you get....
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Oct 28, 2014 10:19am
Is Aitzaz being offered some good post or money? We did not expect this from Aitzaz to support corrupt politicians.
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Oct 28, 2014 10:33am
Mr Pseudo intellectual, we know your worth is few quotas of LPG and you are ready to kiss even Bilawal's ... Did you tell your party that why they never spend money on poor people. You are the one who provided all the excuses in court for your Master AZ. Please do something noble before you die as there will be lot of questions about your character
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Oct 28, 2014 10:41am
@ghanshyam the religion you are talking about is not just a religion , it is constitution itself.,if you don't have the correct knowledge please take yourself away from even to pass this comments , But it must not be politicized like like MQM is doing to achieve their goals ,
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Oct 28, 2014 10:52am
Just look at the list of the names at the end of the report of the so called PPP leaders and you will realize that these claimants of middle class values fighting for the common man are mostly the beneficiaries of the infamous NRO. The fact that they have stayed through thick and thin with Zaradri and now Bilawal shows nothing more than subservience, to maintain their opulent life style. And in order to remain in power at all costs, they have in fact removed the middle P (people) from the PPP-and have become the party of the powerful (PP) No wonder then that the base of the party represented by the common man has eroded to the point that it was wiped out in the last elections, and the slide will continue, if this party of the feudal cannot find a real leader in a country of 180 million people-outside of the dynastic Bhutto clan, even after 46 long years. The leadership deficit, the real tragedy of Pakistan continues.
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Oct 28, 2014 10:53am
Mr. Shah started it and not the Muttaheda. The PPP diatribes increasing manifold did nothing PROGRESSIVE for the much hyped RECONCILIATION except talk, talk, talk, and carry out police operations.
Agreed, that politics and religion must be kept separate...but HOW? Please devise an actionable plan and let's get down to implementing it. A guiding light of advice will be to ban all mullahs from politics by mentioning their names. How about that for a starter? Can the PPP do that?
Mr. Zardari's politics of reconciliation has just been flushed down the drain.
Well done and said Farooq Sattar. These outmoded and medieval politicians have no place today in developing Pakistan.
YES! They have not developed Pakistan in sixty-eight years and what we have here are, TTP, operations, quotas, starvation and disease in Thar, Gullu Dutts, foreign and domestic debt burden of USD. 140/= billion, loan and tax defaults, no health and educational facilities, lawlessness, NO JUSTICE, to name a few. With this unreasonably pathetic situation...THEY MUST GO. Salams and have a nice day.
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Oct 28, 2014 10:53am
By the very virtue of its constitution, isn't Pakistan "The The Islamic Republic Of Pakistan"? So, how can religion be separated from the state and hence, from politics? I often read references to Jinah's Pakistan--but, isn't there the most obvious contradiction--he had created Pakistan on the very basis of religion? How can a state and society live with such contradictions? I am grateful for the vision of the framers of India's constitution--it is secular, period. Indian citizens like me will not allow any messing around with that sacred notion enshrined in India's constitution.
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Oct 28, 2014 11:10am
@ Muneer - Having a Diwali function in his house is not mixing religion and politics. Hindu population is so small that it cannot influence politics in Pakistan.
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Oct 28, 2014 11:35am
There is no place for 'secular' politicians as per our constitution. How can they make laws in accordance with Quran and Sunnah if they are secular and wish to keep religion out of politics. Pakistan was made in the name of Islam and all its and politicians should be serious about implementing Islam in all aspects of our social and individual life.
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Oct 28, 2014 11:49am
And now that the sword hangs above your head you remember that religion is not to be mixed with the state. Ask your party first aitzaz, why did it not abolish these laws which deliberately mix religion with the state, while being in the government repeatedly? Only your lives are important? And not the many innocents that have been targeted by these very same laws?
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Oct 28, 2014 12:05pm
Mr. Ahsan has, unfortunately, stepped down one level. Until now, he was protecting corrupt Zardari. Now he is protecting his cronies. Way to Go Aitezaz sahab.
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Oct 28, 2014 12:18pm
One command a day. Is there any suggestion you have for Bilawal & khurshid Shah. Are your party members milk washed.
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Oct 28, 2014 12:25pm
@Usman Too right. He is cunning, crooked, and opportunist. When a man of his wisdom, age, experience can accept Bilawal as his leader that explains everything. He certainly wants to get back into the inner circle of Zardari. This is our political elite, which today is fighting to save "democracy"
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Oct 28, 2014 12:36pm
Ch Sb, out of curiosity, what actually happened to Bilawal in London in recent Kashmir March?
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Oct 28, 2014 12:47pm
Anything is fair in love, war and politics
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Oct 28, 2014 12:54pm
It's about time, Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan spoke out . He is so right....KEEP RELIGION OUT OF POLITICS.
Great lession for MQM ...
Sincerely, Ashraf Mirza
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Oct 28, 2014 01:12pm
Aitzaz should also tell this to other religious parties, especially Mulana Diesel.
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Oct 28, 2014 01:12pm
MQM wants bloodshed in Sindh, which is wrong, too many people will be killed in Sindh, if MQM continues their demand for separate demand in Sindh
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Oct 28, 2014 01:26pm
It appears every political party is preparing for next elections (Federal, Provincial, Local) and every political party wants to go back to their voters. When nothing to show as performance then go back to basics only mode of survival, how long this game continue only election dates will decide.
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Oct 28, 2014 02:17pm
@Rakesh. I have no objection to that or have any problems with that. The point was highlighted to remind Aitazaz Ahsan that politicking should not be done on religion otherwise there is no end to it.
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Oct 29, 2014 07:43am
Listen to him carefully - PPP’s Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and few others like him are people in danger of extinction in Pakistan. Who is brave enough, as secularist, to allow his own daughter to marry a white guy with proper Islamic Nikka? Aitazaa Milk did, in spite of being condemned by the leftists and called hypocrite by the secularist. Trust me he knows MQM very well and his comments are attributed to MQM not the religious parties in alliance with the PPP.
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