PESHAWAR, Aug 26: The General Secretary of the Pakistan People's Party, MPA Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, has rebutted remarks made by NWFP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq against the Council of Islamic Ideology.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, he termed the comments uncalled for and said Mr Siraj had unnecessarily criticized the council. He criticized the MMA leadership for what he termed lampooning a constitutional forum like the CII for political considerations, adding that such an irresponsible attitude had lowered their public stature.

Referring to the rejection of the Hisba bill by the CII, Mr Sherpao said that it had vindicated his party's stance that the bill was a draconian legislation. He appreciated the CII for doing a good job as it had brought to an end an unnecessary controversy.

The proposed Hisba bill, he said, was not in the province's interests as it would have impeded the working of the judiciary and the executive. Such a controversial bill, Sikandar Sherpao said, would have rendered the entire system unworkable, leaving the masses in the lurch. He expressed the hope that the MMA would stop scoring political points over the issue.

He accused the MMA government of being insincere to the cause of Islam and the people and said that measures like the Hisba bill were aimed at grabbing judicial and administrative powers.

Ruling out the possibility of approving Hisba bill, he said that such ultra-constitutional and extra-judicial legislation would not find any place in the present system.

He said that the MMA had failed on all fronts and it had done nothing for the welfare of the people, adding that it was only making lame excuses to cover up for its failures.