Pakistan: PPP deplores ‘absence’ of Nisar during recent events

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Saturday expressed annoyance over the absence of Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan after the Islamabad blast and during the launch of North Waziristan operation.

Speaking to media persons outside the Parliament House, Shah said the interior minister should come and face the situation and questions of the parliamentarians. He also said that freedom of expression is beauty of democracy, and people and politicians should be allowed to hold peaceful rallies in Islamabad. “Public rallies and processions cannot topple a government. However, if any major blunder is committed, then there could be a threat to the government. There is no threat to democracy from such gatherings in the capital,” Shah said.

To a question, he said that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah was made a scapegoat after the Lahore tragedy. “Rana’s resignation reveals that it was proved that some wrong had been done on the part of the government in Lahore incident,” he added. The opposition leader said that solution of all the problems being confronted by the country lies in democracy. “We are with democracy; country’s future linked with democracy and no one would be allowed to derail it,” he declared.

He said that all the issues being faced by the country should be discussed and solved in parliament. “We will do what ever required for protecting democracy,” he added. Shah said that protests and demonstrations are a democratic right of the political parties, but they should remain peaceful. He expressed the hope that the judicial commission constituted by the Punjab government to probe the Lahore incident would reach to its conclusion soon.

Shah urged media to report any sensitive incident with responsibility and care. “Incidents being negatively reported by the local media, internationally damages the country’s image,” he said. He added that reporting of the Karachi airport attack by the local media had badly damaged the country’s image abroad. “After the Karachi incident, Maldives president cancelled his trip to Pakistan and insurance companies had doubled insurance rate of plane,” he added.