South Punjab- a hub of terrorists says Rehman Malik
The House continued its debate on the second day to pay homage Bhatti and discuss his murder.
The legislators held the Interior Minister responsible for his negligence on security matters saying it was the third attack on an important government personnel in the secure area of the Capital after the attacks on Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and on Hamid Saeed Kazmi, former Religious Affairs Minister. Kazmi had narrowly escaped the attack. Jamshed Dasti of PPP gave strict remarks about the Interior Minister when he said that Malik should resign on the issue, as he was a non-political personality having no orientation to tackle the situation.
The concluding speech of the Interior Minister Rehman Malik became more political when he attacked the opposition benches instead of informing the House about any pre-emptive measure adopted by the government and a clear policy in the backdrop of Bhatti’s killing.
The Interior Minister flatly refused that the killing of Shahbaz Bhatti was a security lapse adding that he was ready to appear before any forum like judicial commission else and would step down if security negligence is proved on his part. He while passing the buck on the other government functionary, said that it was the responsibility of the Cabinet Division to provide a bulletproof vehicle. The Minister claimed that his speech was based on facts before he made his rhetoric to counter the arguments of the opposition.
The minister informed the House that Bhatti had been provided proper box security compromising personnel of capital police and FC conceding that he was receiving life threats. While criticizing the opposition benches, he said that he had moved to the Cabinet to get permission for import of duty-free bulletproof vehicles for ministers at a time when Leader of the Opposition Ch Nisar Ali Khan had demanded withdrawal of security from the ministers.
He said that those demanding his resignation should know that the Lal Masjid Operation had also taken place during their regime that had killed many innocent people. “Those who are blaming me for the three terrorist incidents taken place in the capital, I want to inform them that a trained constable of Punjab police targeted Salman Taseer. They should know that the attack on Major General Mushtaq, GHQ, FIA Office, Lahore, Moon Market, and on Maulana Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi, all had taken place in Punjab and why didn’t they resign at that time,” he said.
The opposition benches were of the view that the minister should first answer the queries of his party members rather than replying to their concerns.
Malik informed the House that he would move the suggestions of the parliamentarians regarding the constitution of a judicial commission and a parliamentary committee to probe the incidents of terrorism. “I also want to give an in-camera briefing to the House on the issue,” he added. He also said that the possibility of presence of foreign hands could not be ruled out in the ethnic and sectarian violence erupted in the country adding that they knew some people who were doing this.
“East Pakistan separated from us on sectarian basis and Taliban were doing the same,” Malik said. He also conceded the presence of terrorists in South Punjab. He said that security and foreign policy were the two issues on which they needed to be united. The minister said that Sherry Rehman and Fouzia Wahab were the number two and three targets of terrorists after him but he did not inform the House that what security measures were taken for the two female parliamentarians of his own party before the House was adjourned san die.
Prior to the winding up of Interior Minister’s speech, many legislators including the two parliamentary leaders of PML-Q and JUI-F also spoke on the issue.
Nadeem Afzal Gondal and Shahnaz Wazir Ali of PPP talked about the weak judicial system of the country that had failed to convict terrorists involved in terrorist activities. Barjees Tahir of PML-N took a tough line against Rehman Malik when he said that while quoting media reports that the Prime Minister wanted to resign on the tragic killing of Bhatti instead of Rehman Malik who should step down. “I think, Rehman Malik has decided that even if the whole parliament is killed, he would not resign,” he said.
Fasil Saleh Hayat, parliamentary leader of PML-Q, while endorsing the view points of other law makers about Rehman Malik said that in real democracies, people did not ask for resignations adding that the portfolio of Interior Ministry should be given to an elected representative. He also condemned the policy of the government regarding giving extension to retired bureaucrats.
Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, parliamentary leader of Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F), while speaking on the floor of the House, said that the issue of killing of Shahbaz Bhatti was being mistakenly co-related with religion, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e- Namoos-e-Rasalat (the movement for the protection of sanctity of the Last Prophet PBUH) and the assassination of Salman Taseer.
He said that the issue of protection of sanctity of Last Prophet was resolved when government had announced not to bring any changes in blasphemy laws. “I am ready to talk on any such Islamic law which is discriminatory if any one feels so”, he said. He smelled that it was a conspiracy that a dead issue was being co-related with the killing of Bhatti.
Kashmala Tariq of PML-Likeminded sought explanation from the Interior Minister about the security. The only appreciation came from Mahboob Ullah Jan Afridi for Interior Minister who said that how could Rehman Malik provide security to every one.
Ayaz Mir of PML-N made a very logical speech having substance on the issue. He said that the 11th August 1947 speech of Quaid-I-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah placed on the walls of National Assembly should be removed, as it was never implemented in letter and spirit. He questioned that how long would they compromise on such issues.
He said that the silence would not be an option now as intolerance and religious fanaticism had increased in the society to dangerous extent. He said that the guilt of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti was only that they had said that blasphemy law was being misused. They had never talked for changing the definition of the law.
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