LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Saturday that Altaf Hussain was not a citizen of Pakistan but of Britain. He added that it was time to get rid of Hussain and take him to task for his anti-Pakistan statements.
The minister said the government had forwarded a reference to the United Kingdom for taking stern action against Hussain for inciting people to violence and attack media houses in Karachi.
“Altaf Hussain has been operating from London for a long time and his single call used to result in shutterdowns, wheel jams, killing of innocent citizens and bringing Karachi’s life to a standstill,” the minister said while speaking to reporters after inaugurating the 16th Textile Asia 2016 Exhibition at the Expo Centre.
Information minister criticises PTI, PAT leaders
Mr Rashid said that in the past a man sitting in London used to deliver anti-Pakistan speeches which resulted in killings of innocent people in Karachi. But now, he added, no one was even ready to discuss him.
He hoped that the British government would not only stop its citizen [Altaf Hussain] from delivering anti-Pakistan speeches, but also take stern action as per its law against him for the offence he had committed.
“We believe British democracy and law will take its course and nab Altaf Hussain for inciting his party workers to extremism and violence.”
Mr Rashid was of the view that all this could not have become possible had Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif not given the nod for the Karachi operation.
After assuming the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Sharif spent three consecutive days in the port city and took on board all political parties, including the PPP, MQM, PTI, JI, JUI-F, and ANP, as well as the business community, civil society and the media for launching an operation to purge Karachi of terrorism, targeted killings, menace of extortion and street crime, he maintained.
Before the PML-N government, Karachi used to wear a deserted look even on religious festivals and other important days, but for the last two years its markets, shopping malls, markets and bazaars had remained open throughout the nights during Eid, the minister added.
Answering a question, Mr Rashid said that PTI chairman Imran Khan had lost trust in democracy, Supreme Court and even in himself. He argued that when Mr Khan had moved the SC, why he had been staging a sit-in.
He said the government would definitely abide by the decision of the apex court and asked Mr Khan whether he would accept the court’s orders.
In reply to a question over PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s rallies and protests, the federal minister said the PML-N believed in the politics of development, but some political parties’ motto was negative politics and mischievous activities. “We are doing what we have to do and they are doing what they can do,” Rashid added.
He said the PML-N government would again foil their negative political ideology through its public service and developmental initiatives.
Mr Rashid told a questioner that the National Action Plan (NAP) could not be executed/implemented overnight, as it was a continuing process. He said some of the NAP points had been implemented fully while others would be implemented gradually and in stages.
He said lessons/essays on love, tolerance, fraternity, peace and nationalism should be incorporated in education syllabus/textbooks to end hatred, ethnicity, and extremism.
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2016