Govt demands Ayaz Sadiq apologise over pilot claims

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Information minister Shibli Faraz on Thursday asked PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq to tender an apology in Parliament over his remarks about the return of captured Indian pilot Abhinandan or get ready to face legal action.

Former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq said Indian media had “distorted” the comments he made in the House.

In a press conference, Shibli Faraz said: “All other things are secondary and the national interest is supreme at this point of time.

“We will not put Ayaz Sadiq’s statement, which has pleased India, on the back-burner.”

The minister said Sadiq would have to extend an apology to the nation in Parliament for causing harm to the national interest by making “anti-state” statement that appeased India. “For this, the public will hold him accountable,” he added.

The leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said, should also seek an apology from the nation and condemn Sadiq and their own “anti-state statements made in public meetings or in the Parliament”. “Nothing less than this [apology] will be acceptable. It stands clear now that whosoever causes harm to national interest cannot be the well wisher of the state,” he added. “It [anti-state remarks] is sheer violation of Article 19 of the Constitution, which does not permit any statement against the state.”

Faraz said it would be okay, if they [Ayaz Sadiq and PDM leadership) tendered an apology in the Parliament, otherwise “the law should take its course”. By making such statements, he said, the opposition leaders had exposed themselves and now the public was well aware of the fact that they were pursuing anti-state agenda to protect their vested interests.