PA passes resolution on probe against MQM

LAHORE
Punjab Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution tabled by the opposition demanding high-level investigation against the MQM on the accusations of getting aid and training by Indian agency RAW, levelled by a BBC report.
The resolution tabled by PTI’s Mian Aslam Iqbal was slightly amended on the suggestion of Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan who avoided to oppose the resolution but suggested that the words “investigative report” and “facts” should be changed to ‘report’ and ‘allegations’.
The minister said the findings of the BBC report could not be called as facts and would remain mere allegations as long as proved by an independent investigation. Similarly, the report could not be called as investigative report and it should only be called as report.
Mian Aslam Iqbal who had also tried to move this resolution on the previous day, showed no objection to law minister’s suggestions. His colleagues in opposition benches also gave a nod to it, after which the House unanimously passed the resolution.
The resolution said “This House expresses extreme concerns over the report of a foreign broadcast service regarding MQM and demands investigations into the allegations it contained. The allegations of abetting terrorists and getting training from Indian agency RAW had already been levelled on the MQM in the past. Therefore, the House demanded the federal government to constitute a high-level investigative commission to probe the allegations, and if proved, Altaf Hussain and his companions should be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.
Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar suggested that the resolution should also condemned the unveiled those who created and patronised MQM, and those who allied it in their coalition governments to further their own political and selfish ends, so that the nation could know the faces behind sending the mega city of lights into the abyss of darkness. But his suggestions were not included in the resolution.
Dr Waseem Akhtar drew the House attention towards the book of geography by Punjab Textbook board for class 3 in which entire Kashmir was declared as a disputed territory in violation of Pakistan’s stance on the issue for the last seven decades.
However, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah informed the House that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had already taken notice of the issue and ordered an inquiry which should report back within next 24 hours. He suggested that the House should move ahead on the motion after seeing the findings of the inquiry report. The Speaker directed the motion to be kept pending for the next sitting.
Later the House was prorogued sine die.