News
Friday, June 21, 2013
PTI lawmaker demands release of Taseer’s killer* Alvi says demand made by Mujahid is not party’s policy
By Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker in the National Assembly on Thursday demanded early release of Mumtaz Qadri, the man who assassinated former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer over two years back in Islamabad.
Mujahid Ali Khan, who was elected from NA-11 Mardan, was supposed to talk about the federal budget as part of the ongoing discussion in the House, however, rather than debating the budget, he spoke about other irrelevant things and made the strange demand of releasing Mumtaz Qadri. “I do not want anything from the government. I request it to release Qadri,” he said. PTI Chairman Imran Khan was not present in the House, but the party’s deputy parliamentary leader, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was present, did not interrupt him or rise from his seat to sate the party policy on this issue.
However, after more than two hours, another PTI MNA, Arif Alvi, who sought permission of the speaker to speak on a point of order, said that the demand made by Mujahid Ali was his personal opinion and it was not the party policy. Apart from PTI, the PPP members in the House also did not interrupt Mujahid Ali and remained glued to their seats. Meanwhile, on the last day of the budget debate, the House witnessed thin attendance, as the members and federal ministers stayed away, while Finance Minister Ishaq Dar appeared for a brief period before leaving. PML-Zia’s Ijaqul Haq used the occasion to talk about terrorism and Afghanistan, and had little to say about the budget. He termed terrorism the biggest challenge for the country.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk