News
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
PPP, MQM don’t want peace talks with extremists* PML-F claims ‘some elements want to sabotage peace talks’
By Razzak Abro
KARACHI: Lawmakers in Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously condemned the suicide attack on Peshawar Church and demanded Federal government for reconsidering its policy of dialogue with the Taliban militants.
The condemnation of the incident was made through passing a joint resolution. PPP’s Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MQM’s Arif Masih Bhatti, PML-Functional’s Nusrat Saher Abbasi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Seema Zia had brought the resolution jointly.
Speaking on the resolution, the PPP leader and Senior Education and Literacy Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro criticised the Federal government, saying that it has issued shoot-at-sight orders for extortionists in Karachi but adopted policy of initiating dialogue with those who were shaking foundations of the country. He demanded the PML-N government not to initiate dialogue with those who were killing innocent people. He also suggested that the federal government should fix surrendering of arms as pre-condition for the dialogue.
He also criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for not issuing a straightforward statement on the incident. According to him he should have made clear that the government will not start talks with extremist elements. The PPP leader also criticised the Supreme Court judges without mentioning anyone’s name, and said that nobody has yet taken suo moto notice of such a barbaric incident.
Opposition Leader Faisal Sabzwari said that minorities in the country now are around three percent, which were 30 percent of total population at the time of independence. But, he added, those claiming to be “biggest Muslims” in the country are not even accepting such a small number of minorities. He wondered why the government was initiating dialogue with those, who do not even accept the Constitution and laws of the country; and not only want to impose themselves in the country, but are also giving a bad image to Islam in the world.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that those who want to initiate dialogue with the terrorists to have good relations with them are mistaken if they think that they will remain safe from such extremist elements. “We have to fight with such mindset,” he said, adding that the Federal government should review its policy of dialogue with extremists.
MQM leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan asked how it will be decided to start a dialogue, and with whom, as there are various groups on the other side. Moreover, he asked who would give a guarantee from the other side?
PML-F lawmaker Mahtab Akbar Rashdi said that all the political forces will have to set themselves in the right direction, as neither schools are safe nor religious places are secure in the country. While claiming that some elements want to sabotage peace talks, she asked why the dialogue process has not started yet? Earlier the house adopted one-minute silence to express grief on Peshawar Church blast.
Sindh Newborn Screening Bill passed: Earlier the Sindh Assembly passed Sindh Newborn Screening Bill, 2013 to screen all newborns for hearing impairment. Sindh Law Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro moved the bill. All the political parties supported the bill therefore it was passed unanimously. The bill has been presented in order to screen all newborns for hearing impairment, in order to alleviate the adverse effects of hearing loss to speech and language development, academic performance, and cognitive development.
He said that the bill is also aimed at establishing and integrating a sustainable newborn screening system within the public health delivery system, and to provide a description of recommended procedures to audiologists.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk