Govt, opposition body to hold talks with protesters

ISLAMABAD: A committee comprising government and opposition parties would be constituted to hold negotiations with the protesters so that the issue could be resolved amicably.

The government formally reciprocated to the opposition’s offer of cooperation on Thursday and contacted the key leadership and apprised it of the steps taken so far with regard to the law and order situation, following the Supreme Court judgement in Aasia Bibi case.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain briefed Leader of the Opposition and President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif and other opposition leaders, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Ahsan Iqbal was also present on the occasion besides State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari.

The opposition leaders, he continued, were also apprised of the future strategy to handle the situation. He maintained that the entire Pakistan was united on the issue of law and order. Talking briefly to media persons at the Parliament House after the meeting, the minister said that the law and order was the issue of the entire country and that he briefed the opposition leaders on the steps taken so far by the government with regard to the related matters.

He said that focal persons had been appointed from the government and opposition side vis-à-vis the measures relating to the situation arising out of the apex court judgment. “Each and every measure, which will be taken on the issue of law and order, major parties in the National Assembly will be consulted and their opinion would be included in this connection,” the minister explained.

He parried a question about the possibility of government bringing a resolution on the issue. Meanwhile, in a tweet, the minister wrote that the review petition was a legal right that the aggrieved party could avail. Protests and violence instead of a legal course was unacceptable. He added that no one could take the law into hands and the government would ensure writ of the state as expressed by the prime minister of Pakistan in his address to the nation.

“According to the prime minister, those elements taking law into their hands would be dealt with sternly according to the law. Remove, if there is any misunderstanding about the ability and prowess of the state institutions,” he made it clear.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the minister contradicted reports appearing in a section of the media regarding filing of any review petition against the SC judgment in Aasia Bibi case. “The government has neither filed any review petition against the judgment nor has placed the name of Aasia Bibi on the Exit Control List (ECL),” the minister said.