Pakistan: Shariah already exists in country

Busniess Recorder

Former Prime Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Syed Yusaf Raza Gilani has said Shariah already existed in the country in the form of 1973 Constitution as no legislation could be made repugnant to the Islamic teachings. Talking to media persons at his Lahore residence after his meeting with Chief Minister Gilgit-Balistan Syed Mehdi Shah on Sunday, Yusaf Raza Gilani said that the Taliban had come up with three major demands including enforcement of Shariah in the country, release of Taliban prisoners and withdrawal of troops from militancy hit areas and it is up to the government either to accept or not these demands. He said that PPP and other political parties gave mandate of peace talks to the government and now we have to wait for the results of dialogues with banned outfit. Gilani said that he had talked to Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif six months ago asking him to play his role for release of his abducted son Ali Haider Gilani. He hoped that now when the issue of release of Taliban prisoners was raised, the PM would remember his son also, he added. The former premier said PPP government during its era gave provincial status to GB besides facilitating people with equal rights enjoyed by people of other provinces of country. Speaking on the occasion CM GB Mehdi Shah said that PPP led government spared no efforts to resolve problems faced by the people and it was hoped that his party will clean sweep in general elections scheduled in December 2014.