PA condemns Bangladesh govt for hanging JI leader

Resolution urges federal govt to use its ties with other countries to prevent Bangladesh from hanging


Ali Usman May 11, 2016
Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. PHOTO: REUTERS

LAHORE: The Provincial Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning Bangladeshi government for execution of a former head of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Bangladesh, Motiur Rahman Nizami, on Tuesday night.

The resolution was moved jointly by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Leader of Opposition Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Jamaat-i-Islami lawmaker Dr Waseem Akhtar. It was taken out of turn.

“It is sad that the Government of Bangladesh has executed an old man, just because of his love for Pakistan, at the behest of the Indian government. This House demands that the Government of Pakistan use its bilateral and multilateral ties to stop Bangladesh from carrying out more executions on the pretext of war crimes,” the resolution read.

Mahmoodur Rasheed said the deceased JI Bangladesh leader had been executed just because of his love for Pakistan and its Armed Forces. He said international human rights bodies had remained silent on the issue because the deceased was a Muslim. He said Rahman had refused to submit a clemency appeal before the Bangladeshi president. This spoke volumes of his bravery, he added.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah praised the deceased JI leader and said that Bangladeshi government was targeting all those who had stood for Pakistan when it was getting divided with Indian interference. He said that around 20,000 members of the JI were incarcerated in Bangladeshi jails. This included around 1,200 women students associated with the Islami Jamiat Talibat (IJT), he said. He added that Rahman was the seventh JI leader hanged by the Bangladeshi government.

Speaking on a point of order, PML-N lawmaker Saqib Khursheed said that the resolution alone was not enough. He urged the federal government to expel the Bangladeshi ambassador in Pakistan and to recall the Pakistani ambassador from Bangladesh.

Issues related to the Labour and Human Resources Department and the Agriculture Department were discussed during the questions hour.

Later, the law minister tabled the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Regulatory Ordinance of 2016 and the Punjab Local Government (Fourth Amendment) Act of 2016 in the House.

There was a brief exchange of harsh words between Treasury and Opposition benches when some opposition members pointed out lack of quorum before walking out of the House. The session resumed after five minutes on completion of quorum. On completion of the agenda for the day, the session was adjourned till Thursday (today) morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2016.

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