Centre urged to respond to Modi

PTI MPAs to meet next week to discuss Accountability Campaign

LAHORE: Leader of Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed has urged the federal government to issue a strong response to remarks made by Indian prime minister on Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in a speech he delivered on India’s Independence Day on Monday.

He also submitted a resolution condemning Modi’s statement and demanding that the federal government clarify its stance on the issues mentioned by him. In his speech on Monday, Modi accused Pakistan of ‘glorifying terrorists’. He also said that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and the AJK had thanked him for raising voice for rights’ violation in these areas.

Separately, Rasheed called a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) provincial parliamentary party in the next week to devise a strategy for its Accountability Campaign in the province. He said PTI chairman Imran Khan had decided that the party should take up the issue in the Provincial Assembly scheduled to start on next Monday.

On Monday, the party’s strategy committee held a meeting at the Chairman’s Secretariat to deliberate over possible routes for rallies to be held as part of the Accountability Campaign. The meeting was chaired by Jehangir Tareen. Aleem Khan and Ishaq Khan Khakwani were also present. The meeting decided that party organisations at the district level should be mobilised to make the campaign successful.

PTI chief Imran Khan is likely to finalise the schedule and routes of the rallies in the upcoming meeting of the party’s core committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2016.