PTI wants May 9 FIRs quashed

ISLAMABAD:

At a time when the ruling PML-N has made the talks with the PTI conditional to its apology over the May 9 riots, a PTI-backed lawmaker urged the government and the Supreme Court on Thursday to immediately take action, end "bogus FIRs" and release party workers who have been behind bars for over a year now.

PTI MNA Junaid Akbar while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly termed the cases against party workers as "bogus", saying neither they are facing any trial nor have been released or given bail for the past one-and-a-half year.

"Supreme Court provided justice to [Zulfikar Ali] Bhutto after 50 years when he didn't even need it as everyone knew that he was a martyr," the PTI lawmaker said, adding the "poor workers" were languishing in jails and time that should've been spent on education was being wasted.

"I urge the government and Supreme Court to immediately take action and release the workers," Akbar demanded, saying "bogus FIRs" registered in connection with May 9 events should be quashed forthwith.

Priya Kumari

Meanwhile, PML-N MNA Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das raised the issue of kidnapping of a Hindu girl, Priya Kumari, saying it's been three years but the authorities concerned haven't yet been able to recover her. Shocking as it may seem, the PMLN legislator told the house that seven-year-old Kumari was kidnapped when she was providing Sabeel on 10th of Muharram.

Das revealed that her parents and other family members were still in pain and requesting the authorities to recover her, especially, after the police high-ups have told them that she was still alive.

Cricketer in jail

During the session, when most of the lawmakers who sit on the front rows had left, the remaining ones had burst into laughter when PML-N MNA, Tahira Aurangzeb, recalled how cricket players in the past used to perform and win matches and PTI-backed lawmaker, Nisar Ahmed Jutt, quipped that that player – Imran Khan – is in jail now.