Politicos urge restraint after Fazl remarks

KARACHI:

In the wake of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman's controversial statement on martyrs, political leaders across party lines on Thursday continued to call for greater responsibility in public discourse concerning national institutions.

They urged politicians to avoid statements that could be exploited by hostile countries.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) withdrew its earlier condemnation of remarks by Fazl after accepting a clarification issued by the party.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said seasoned politicians should exercise caution to ensure their statements were not used by countries hostile to Pakistan.

"Is there any statement we could make that the media in a country hostile to Pakistan would highlight? Is there any statement we could make that would make our adversaries happy?" Siddiqui said.

"If that is not the case, then I do not think any experienced, responsible political figure or national leader would make such a mistake."

He said political leaders should ensure that if their remarks reached international media, they projected Pakistan positively rather than being associated with criticism of the state or its institutions.

"If our statements reach the international media, they should promote the country's good name. They should not be associated with criticism of the state, the country or the institutions that protect it," he said.

Siddiqui expressed hope that Fazl would clarify his remarks if he believed his choice of words had enabled Pakistan's adversaries to exploit them.

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar also addressed the press conference and denounced the JUI-F chief's statement as "incomprehensible, unacceptable and unbearable".

Meanwhile, the Karachi Bar Association withdrew the condemnation it had issued a day earlier.

In a statement, the KBA said Fazl's remarks were not insulting to national institutions or the country's martyrs.

According to KBA President Amir Nawaz Warraich, the association decided to withdraw its condemnation after reviewing a clarification issued by the JUI-F.

Speaking separately at a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon urged political leaders to exercise restraint on issues concerning the armed forces and national unity.

"My request to Maulana Fazlur Rehman is that he should take his statement back," he said.