LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that JUI-F chief Fazalur Rehman and JI chief Munawar Hasan should not have created controversy by bestowing the title of ‘martyr’ to a terrorist, DawnNews reported.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Sanaullah criticised the chiefs of Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl, saying religious leaders should refrain from issuing such controversial statements.

The provincial law minister also criticised Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and said despite being 62 years of age, the latter was making irresponsible calls.

Rehman, Hasan and Khan are proponents of talks with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the JUI-F chief has also called out to members of the banned group saying they should not allow derailment of the peace process in the wake of Hakimullah Mehsud’s killing. Moreover, chiefs of PTI and JI have called for the blocking of Nato supply going through Pakistan to foreign troops in Afghanistan in the wake of the latest drone attack inside Pakistani territory in which the TTP chief was killed.

Responding to a question, Sanaullah said Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif had never appealed to the Taliban to not attack Punjab, adding that political opponents should not distort the statements of PML-N leaders for their own advantage.

Speaking out on Saturday’s Gujranwala firing incident in which two imambargahs were attacked, the provincial law minister said the incident was sectarian in nature as opposed to an act of terrorism.