Senate refuses to pray for Taseer
January 29, 2011
ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as an eye-opening development, none of the members of the upper house of parliament on Friday came forward to offer Fateha for slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
Not only that, the house members stayed away from leading Fateha, but also prevented a resolution by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar to condemn the killing of Salmaan Taseer by his security guard Mumtaz Qadri.
In other words, the Senate refused to own Salmaan Taseer who was killed at Kohsar Market in Islamabad for what his security guard Mumtaz Qadri said Taseer called blasphemy law a black law. None of the PPP senators including Leader of the House Nayyar Bokhari or any other ruling party member got the opportunity to support Nilofar Bakhtiar.
Qadri not only confessed his act, but also gave a statement to the investigators that prior to the shooting, he hadasked his colleagues that he would surrender after killing the governor. Jamaat-e-Islami senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim in full-throat voice said: “We oppose it”, as Nilofar Bakhtiar on a point of order said she wanted to move a resolution to condemn Taseer’s murder and incident of petals showered on Qadri by lawyers.
On seeing mood of the members, Senate chairman Farooq H Naek did not allow Bakhtiar to move the resolution. On that Nilofar said the house at least should offer fateha. The chair asked Abdul Khaliq Pirzada to lead fateha. But it was also astonishing that a senator who hails from the MQM, which is considered as a liberal party, refused to follow instructions from the chairman.
In the meantime, JUI-F senators also left the Senate Hall. Leader of Opposition in the Senate Wasim Sajjad said the senators could offer their individual fateha. The senators belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, MQM and Fata did not raise their hands for fateha. It may be mentioned here that Khateebs of the Governor’s House mosque and Badshahi Mosque had also refused to lead Nimaz-e-Jinazah of Salman Taseer in Lahore.
Not only that, the house members stayed away from leading Fateha, but also prevented a resolution by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar to condemn the killing of Salmaan Taseer by his security guard Mumtaz Qadri.
In other words, the Senate refused to own Salmaan Taseer who was killed at Kohsar Market in Islamabad for what his security guard Mumtaz Qadri said Taseer called blasphemy law a black law. None of the PPP senators including Leader of the House Nayyar Bokhari or any other ruling party member got the opportunity to support Nilofar Bakhtiar.
Qadri not only confessed his act, but also gave a statement to the investigators that prior to the shooting, he hadasked his colleagues that he would surrender after killing the governor. Jamaat-e-Islami senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim in full-throat voice said: “We oppose it”, as Nilofar Bakhtiar on a point of order said she wanted to move a resolution to condemn Taseer’s murder and incident of petals showered on Qadri by lawyers.
On seeing mood of the members, Senate chairman Farooq H Naek did not allow Bakhtiar to move the resolution. On that Nilofar said the house at least should offer fateha. The chair asked Abdul Khaliq Pirzada to lead fateha. But it was also astonishing that a senator who hails from the MQM, which is considered as a liberal party, refused to follow instructions from the chairman.
In the meantime, JUI-F senators also left the Senate Hall. Leader of Opposition in the Senate Wasim Sajjad said the senators could offer their individual fateha. The senators belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, MQM and Fata did not raise their hands for fateha. It may be mentioned here that Khateebs of the Governor’s House mosque and Badshahi Mosque had also refused to lead Nimaz-e-Jinazah of Salman Taseer in Lahore.
