Taliban fighting against Islam, not state: Aitzaz

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), leader and Senator Aitzaz Ahsan Saturday said the Taliban were actually fighting against the religion and not the state of Pakistan.

Addressing a book launching ceremony here, Aitzaz Ahsan said: “We are killing people over the length of their shalwars (trousers) and instead of moving forward we are going backward into the 13th century.”

He said in order to save Pakistan ‘we will have to act upon the Quaid-e-Azam’s speech of August 11, 1947’.

The PPP leader said that he voted in favour of the military courts in all consciousness but it was done with regret. “We are against the idea of someone presenting himself for justice before military courts,” he added.

He said neither a nationalist nor a politician should be presented before the military courts.

Aitzaz said the draft presented before the All Parties Conference in connection with the establishment of military courts was agreed upon among others by Jamaiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Jamat-e-Islami Amir Sirajul Haq and Sajid Mir.