LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has advised the Punjab government to resolve the Kasur issue in accordance with the law, instead of making it an ‘ego problem’.

“No government, including that of Punjab, intentionally makes Kasur-like incidents happen…this is a heinous act committed by savages of the area. The Punjab government should not make it an ego problem and instead play its role in resolving the issue in accordance with law and penalise the criminals,” said PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Referring to rejection of Punjab government’s plea for formation of a judicial commission on Kasur children sex abuse case by the Lahore High Court, Mr Qureshi said when judicial inquiry of Model Town incident would be swept under the carpet, why the LHC would order such a probe into another incident.

“The rejection of the judicial inquiry request by the LHC chief justice is a question mark on the (credibility of) the Punjab government.”

Mr Qureshi told a questioner that no patriotic Pakistani would support Altaf Hussain’s statements as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief was a “confused” personality. He also rapped the government for its duplicity, saying it declared Altaf Hussain a traitor, while on the other hand the National Assembly speaker phoned the MQM chief and appealed to him (on PTI MNAs’ de-seating issue).

He said the masses were seeing the whole episode and they had reservations on it.

Expressing solidarity with the minorities, he paid tribute to slain minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti. He said the minorities were being denied their rights, resulting in migration of some local Hindu families to India, while some Christians were looking out for similar opportunities.

The PTI leader rejected the recently promulgated Local Government Ordinance, saying it not only affected minorities’ rights but also of farmers and youth (by changing their election through direct vote into indirect selection).

“We condemn this ordinance and declare that the Lahore High Court will be moved against it as we’ll struggle for the rights of minorities both within and outside the assemblies,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015

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