Lawmakers shed crocodile tears on Pakhtuns’ arrests

ISLAMABAD: The lawmakers belonging to North West Frontier province on Tuesday raised serious concern in the National Assembly over the continued crackdown against Pakhtuns and their arrests in various cities of Punjab and Federal Capital in the name of security measures urging the government to stop the practice forthwith. Various members from the province while speaking on points of order raised the issue of crackdown and arrests of Pakhtuns in various cities of Punjab and Islamabad urging the Ministry of Interior to stop such action as it was promoting resentment among the Pakhtuns. Responding to the members concern and pointing out by Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi who was chairing the House at the time that he had also received various complaints of harassment and arrests of the innocent people belonging to Pakhtun community, the Minister of State for Interior Tasleem Qureshi assured the House that he would take up the matter with the high ups of the ministry and present a report in the House in a day or two. He further said that the law enforcement agencies have been instructed only to book those who are suspected. Qureshi also assured the House that those involved in the killing of Baloch political leaders would be brought to justice adding that a report in this regard would be presented in the House within two or three days. Earlier, MNA from Bajaur, Eng. Shaukatullah raised the issue of arrest and harassing people from his constituency saying that those victims of the Bajaur military operation who are residing and working in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were being booked and victimized by the law enforcement agencies and urged the government to stop the practice.