MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has rejected a PML-N claim that Jamaat-i-Islami will support the ruling party candidate in PP-196 by-poll.

Talking to the media here on Sunday, Mr Qureshi quoted JI spokesperson Amirul Muazzam as having said that his party had so far made no decision with regard to supporting anyone in the by-poll.

“So keeping in view the statement of Mr Muazzam, the PML-N claim in this regard is baseless,” he said.

He claimed that JI Emir Sirajul Haq had also informed him on phone that supporting PML-N in the by-election was out of question.

“Hopefully the JI would announce support for the PTI candidate,” he claimed.

In the backdrop of Safoora carnage, he said the chief of army staff might hold a session with the civilian leadership of the country to brief them about the involvement of Indian intelligence agency -- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) -- in fanning terrorism in Pakistan.

“The security operators are not seeing the role of the government. May be after being briefed (by COAS), the government becomes active,” he said.

He, however, did not explain how he came to know about possibility of such a meeting.

“The elements that want to destabilise Pakistan are behind the Safoora carnage and the activities of RAW in the country are a matter of concern,” he said.

He said earlier corp commanders conference was held in connection with the RAW activities and later Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) issued a statement in this regard. Now army chief was comprehensively briefed on the issue during his recent visit to the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters, he added.

He said as foreign ministry worked under the government of Pakistan, the prime minister should play his role as foreign minister of the country.

Mr Qureshi said the image of south Punjab was distorted by both the PML-N and the PPP in the name of creating new province.

“The both PPP and PML-N are in a position to give a constitutional status to south Punjab if they actually want to do this,” he said.

He recommended to the government to get Mr Javed Hashmi elected as a senator keeping in view his experience.

“If, Mr Hashmi becomes a senator, it will be an honour for Multan,” he said. Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2015

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