Nawaz for moving court on scientists

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chairman Mian Nawaz Sharif on Thursday condemned the detention of the nuclear scientists and directed party leaders to proceed with a lawsuit to provide legal protection to the “national heroes”.

Talking to PML-N Punjab Secretary General Khawaja Saad Rafique by telephone, Mr Sharif said the scientists strengthened the defence of Pakistan and nobody should be allowed to humiliate them. He expressed the doubt that “American officials” were questioning the scientists in the name of debriefing. He urged intellectuals and lawyers to stand up against the “insulting” attitude of the rulers towards the scientists.

Mr Rafique told a press conference that Mr Sharif directed him to raise the issue at every forum and to move the court. He said the Kahota Research Laboratories always remained in the control of Pakistan Army “Why has the federal finance minister visited the laboratories? He must be interrogated for it,” Mr Rafique quoted Mr Sharif as saying.

He said Mr Sharif also directed the leadership of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) to call a National Assembly session to debate the detention of the scientists. “He was of the view that Pakistani scientists could not disclose the secrecy of nuclear technology at any cost and the government has no right to question them,” Mr Rafique added. He also condemned a statement by President General Pervez Musharraf regarding a resemblance between Kamal Attaturk and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. “He said the president should not use the Quaid’s name to gain political popularity,” said Mr Rafique. —Staff Report

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