Punjab Assembly session: PPP leader takes Imran to task for protecting Musharraf

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly Hassan Murtaza Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for protecting Pervez Musharraf, who is alleged assassin of Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bugti and responsible for May-12 killings.

While speaking on the PA floor, he said the PPP had always shown respect to judiciary, though it had also faced hardships in history, adding the PPP had also received relief from the courts. He thanked the court for allowing the PPP to hold public meeting in Rawalpindi in connection with the 12th death anniversary of slain party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan used to demand death penalty for Gen Pervez Musharraf when he was in opposition. But now, he had taken another U-turn on the issue. He said Imran Khan used to use words like thief, dacoit for Pervez Musharraf, but now when the court had given the verdict against him, he is trying to protect him. Not only this, he said, the government had tried to drag institutions into this affair which clearly indicated the duplicity in its stance. Hassan Murtaza also criticised the government for the injustice being done to 50 per cent of Punjab where the opposition representatives had won, but not a single penny had been spent on development of those areas. He said that Rs238 billion, which were supposed to be spent on Punjab, had been taken by the centre.

He said that in his constituency, a number of accidents were taking place on Faisalabad-Chiniot Road almost daily, but no attention was being paid to it by the government.

Moreover, the PA halls also echoed with anti-Modi slogans after an independent MPA Jugnu Mohsin, on a point of order, voiced serious concern over the fascist behaviour of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jugnu was elected from Okara in 2018 general elections as an independent candidate while defeating former provincial minister Raza Ali Gilani. She said we, as a nation should become one voice in support of the people taking to the streets in India against Modi govt’s fascist behaviour. She said it was time to express solidarity with the Muslims of Kashmir. She paid rich tribute to slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and the late human right activist Asma Jahangir for raising voice against dictators.