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Friday, April 22, 2011
Hashmi urges Sharifs to apologise for backing dictators
* PML-N leader says Bhutto’s hanging at the hands of a military dictator washed away all his mistakes g Criticises his party for its rigid stance on creation of new provincesBy Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), on Thursday, asked his party leadership, including Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, to tender an apology for joining hands with dictators in the past.
“I have already apologised for being a member of former dictator Ziaul Haq’s regime. I again seek apology from this House and the whole nation for my act,” Hashmi pleaded in the Lower House of parliament when it took up debate on the presidential address.
Being one of the straightforward ones in a series of speeches in the ongoing session of the House, Hashmi minced no words in admitting his past mistake rather he urged all others to follow the suit to close the chapter once and for all.
“First of all, I request my leadership to take the lead by tendering an apology and then desire others to do so,” said the PML-N leader.
Expressing gratitude to the late prime minister and founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who, he said, was a towering political figure, Hashmi felt that Bhutto’s hanging at the hands of a military dictator had washed away all his mistakes which he committed by sitting in the cabinet of a previous dictator.
Amidst an applause and desk-thumping from the treasury benches, Hashmi declared in categorical terms that Bhutto and his daughter Benazir were martyred and that the latter’s death was a great loss which, he said, had even saddened him despite his differences with her style of politics.
In a lighter vein, the top PML-N leader said that he fully understood the politics of Bhutto, Benazir and Hakim Ali Zardari, father of President Asif Ali Zardari. But, he added, he was unable to comprehend the politics of Asif Zardari. “I think one must have to do a PhD to understand the politics of Asif Zardari,” he remarked.
Hashmi also strongly advocated the demand for the creation of new provinces in the country, and warned that if such steps were not taken, the country’s geography might be altered. He expressed astonishment over the rigid stance of his party with regards to the creation of new provinces, and said that as other parties had no objection to redrawing the boundaries of the provinces, PML-N’s stand against it was quite surprising.
“Creation of new provinces is not a sin and one must not be so hardened on it,” he remarked, saying that when Lahore could not overcome its problems, how could it go for resolving issues of Multan in southern Punjab. “People will definitely raise their fingers,” he said and questioned, “What would be left for others when the Punjab government spends Rs10 billion on one Raiwind Road.”
“If the people are kept deprived, they will launch a struggle to remove their sense of deprivation,” he said, and suggested to the House that a formula should be devised to create new provinces. Hashmi also called upon the national leadership to bring back its money stacked in foreign countries, saying if they were true representatives of the people, they should have their wealth inside the country or just leave politics.
Speaking about the law and order situation, the PML-N leader blamed both the federal and Punjab government for their failure to maintain peace and order in the country.
PPP’s Afzal Nadeem Gondal in his hard-hitting speech severely criticised the Punjab government for its Sasti Roti Scheme which, he claimed, had eaten up billions of rupees of the budget.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Sardar Owais Laghari said the government had completely failed to deliver any relief to the masses. Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Salahuddin called for imposition of agriculture tax and demanded the government to come up with a concrete strategy on the drone attacks.
Zafar Baig Bhitani also urged steps to end the drone strikes as well as violence in Parachinar.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk