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NA Opp leader slams Musharraf’s remarks against Zardari

* Babar Awan says govt won’t react to Musharraf as he is ‘history’
* PML-Q says Article 6 should be invoked against all past dictators

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on Tuesday criticised former president Pervez Musharraf for his comments against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Speaking on a point of order, Nisar said a dictator who had violated the constitution at numerous occasions had no right to pass such statements against an elected president. He also voiced concern over parliamentarians’ and the government’s silence on the issue.

“Although we [the opposition] have differences with President Zardari on a number of issues, we cannot give a former dictator the right to utter derogatory remarks against an elected president,” Nisar said. He said had the government invoked Article 6 against Musharraf and strengthened the political process, no one would have talked of “minus one” and “minus two” formulae, and a former dictator would not have had the courage to use such a derogatory language against the president.

The opposition leader also questioned the status of cases falling under the National Reconciliation Ordinance, saying those who benefited from the law should retire voluntarily. He also asked why the government was not brining the accountability law in parliament for legislation despite its claim that the concerned standing committee had approved it unanimously.

Nisar also expressed doubt over the killing of an alleged would-be suicide bomber by Islamabad police, saying the person was reportedly in police custody and the incident was an extra judicial killing. Speaking in the House, minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said the government did not find it appropriate to respond to remarks of a person who was “history”.

Amir Muqam of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid defended the former president, saying that he was a constitutional president and was elected by the assemblies.

He said if the government were to invoke Article 6, it should be invoked against all military dictators of the past. Muqam said the leader of opposition should also refrain from using derogatory language against the former president.

Minister for Tourism Maulana Attaur Rehman said his ministry had not received a single complaint against umra and haj tour operators despite negative reporters of the same in the media. He said he has also asked the Religious Affairs Ministry to forward complaints it received to his ministry.

Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi clarified that umra tour operators did not come under his ministry’s jurisdiction.

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