Ready-to-act govt chose talks in national interest: minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri said Friday that though the government was ready to go to any extent to enforce its writ, it resorted to talks to resolve the crisis peacefully in the national interest.

He was responding to a question in Geo News programme — Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.— by the anchorperson that the past 50 hours had given an impression as if there was no writ of the government.

The minister asserted that the government was very much in control but some political friends wanted dialogue to defuse the situation. When asked who were those friends, the minister said there were many, adding there could be many including me.

When asked about the relevance of prime minister’s stern speech, the minister said that was reflection of the state’s policy.

When asked that how come the government signed an agreement bearing signatures of Pir Afzal Qadri despite his invectives against the heads of state institutions and judges and whether there would any action on that count, the minister responded that the signatory on behalf of the TLP is its chief patron and he has expressed regrets in writing.

When asked that did such a general expression of regret mean that anyone could incite people or talk about rebellion in presence of a law that prescribes seven-year jail for such an offence, the minister relied that the government had registered its presence sending out a message that such things would not be tolerated.

The anchorperson repeated his question saying was this by agreeing to revoking cases, placing Aasia Masih on the ECL and a regret that the government had established its writ, the minister said both things were moving side by side. On cases and arrests, the minister said those in police custody would be given relief, but those who had FIRs registered against them and referred to courts would get relief from there.

On the review petition against the apex court decision, the minister said the protesters had been assured that the government would not resist the review application and the Aasia’s name would also be put on the ECL through the legal channel.