LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously condemned Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s “anti-national” remarks and demanded the federal government file high treason charges against him and others responsible for the “national offence”.

The members raised pro-Pakistan slogans after a resolution moved by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah with the support of the opposition was unanimously adopted by the house. The MPAs also expressed solidarity with the protesting journalists who had earlier staged a symbolic boycott of the proceedings against attacks on media houses in Karachi.

“This house of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab strongly condemns the unholy and provocative remarks made by MQM chief Altaf Hussain on Aug 22, 2016 and declares him a national criminal involved in sedition,” stated the resolution taken up out of turn by suspending the rules of business.

It stated that using such words against the country “that are contrary to Pakistan’s solidarity and national aspirations tantamount to sedition” and demanded the federal government institute a sedition case against all those involved in the “national offence”.

“This house also strongly condemns attacks on media houses, ransacking of the offices and torture of the staff in the garb of protest, and terms it an attack on press freedom as well as on freedom of expression,” the resolution added, referring to the violence in Karachi soon after Mr Hussain’s speech through video link from London on Monday afternoon.

Appreciating, what it called, the unanimity and harmony showed by the whole nation on the occasion, it said: “This house warns the elements engaged in nefarious activities aimed at robbing Pakistan of progress and gaining her [due] status in the comity of nations by creating instability in the homeland through chaos and anarchy that they adopt democratic attitudes for there is no room for chaos and torture in Pakistan.”

Through another resolution, the Punjab Assembly condemned the Indian prime minister’s remarks regarding Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan made on Aug 15, stating it endorsed Pakistan’s stance about Indian intervention in the country [internal affairs].

It said Narendra Modi’s statement was not only an “official confession” by India, but also a charge-sheet against it. The house demanded the federal government raise the issue at international level and exert diplomatic pressure on India that it desist from meddling in Pakistan.

Through a separate unanimous resolution, the house strongly condemned recent Indian aggression in held Kashmir and killing of dozens of innocent Kashmiris and wounding of hundreds of others at the hands of Indian forces.

It lauded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for writing to the UN secretary general and high commissioner for human rights against Indian atrocities and draw attention of the world towards the issue.

It appealed to the federal government to continue political, moral and diplomatic support of Kashmiris at the international level. The house also demanded immediate plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir by accepting their right to franchise in line with UN resolutions and pulling troops from the entire state.

Meanwhile, the assembly unanimously adopted a resolution calling for withdrawal of price increase by the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP).

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf parliamentarian Nabila Hakam Ali Khan had tabled a resolution demanding the government immediately withdraw the price increase in the interest of patients.

She apprised the house that many life-saving drugs, including those being sold for treatment of kidney, cancer and hepatitis, were beyond access of poor patients.

Calling the decision illegal and unjust, Nabila demanded immediate action by the federal and DRAP officials.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016

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