After MQM response, PPP plans its show for November 13
Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, Home Minister Manzoor Wassan said that though the government had banned rallies and processions, it could relax the rules if any party sought permission from his department. For example, the MQM won a two-day reprieve to go ahead with its meeting on Sunday.
Wassan disclosed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz intends to organise a public meeting. He said that the government could permit it, if the party follows the rules and applies for a no-objection certificate.
The mention of the PML-N opened the floor for questions on the attack on the party’s offices in Sindh. Wassan responded that they had already ordered a judicial inquiry. “Not only were the PML-N offices ransacked, but some miscreants also attacked the offices of the PPP and burnt posters and portraits of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto,” he said, adding that he had suspended SHOs in Khairpur and Kandhkot following the PML-N attacks. He denied that PPP workers were involved.
The government provides Nawaz Sharif full security whenever he visits Sindh, said Wassan, but went on to hastily temper this by saying that he regretted that “when Nawaz Sharif was chief minister of Punjab in 1988, he never received Benazir Bhutto, the then prime minister.”
Code of Conduct
Wassan announced that all the parties and groups, including the MQM, Sunni Tehreek, ANP, Jamaat-e-Islami, PPP and Jafria Alliance, have agreed to a government code of conduct for the collection of hides on Eid-ul Azha.
This was agreed on by 22 parties at a meeting at his office. Now the district coordination officers (DCOs) and home department will issue permits. “Only those who have permission would be allowed to collect hides,” he said, adding that cases would be registered against violators under the anti-terrorism act.
“There will be a ban on camps and no one will be allowed to make announcements from mosques, madrassas or use loud speakers,” he said. However, people can voluntarily donate hides at mosques and seminaries in their neighbourhoods. The police and Rangers are being given a free hand to ensure that this code of conduct is implemented. They will monitor people transporting hides. “The police will arrest people and confiscate the hides from them if they are found carrying it without a permit,” he said, adding that the government would also set up complaint centres at the DCO office.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2011.
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PML-N continues its politics of petty manoeuvring that mainly comprises preventing its main rival getting enough political strength in both Houses of parliament for a comfortable legislative space. With the upcoming Senate elections, the PML-N has made it a matter of life and death to prevent an upper House with PPP majority. The urgency the lions of Punjab are showing in achieving a ‘change’ is helping an ambitious political kid, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), at least in Punjab. Whosoever is ‘the patron’ of the PTI would be smiling broadly while watching this chessboard. Mian Nawaz Sharif, the time hardened chief of the PML-N, seemed to have decided to go into slumber while the CM Punjab prepared notes for his speech. Mian Nawaz Sharif had won several points on the popularity scale among the progressive citizenry with his firm stance against the security establishment hijacking political space, alongside his rational and pragmatic position on relations with India. But it seems even the elder Mian sahib has a few dark points, maybe owing to his political ancestry. These dark points include, besides his superficiality of political decision-making, his absurd position on Pak-US relations and Pakistan’s role in the war against terrorism. It goes without saying that he has not offered a clear opposition to the Punjab-based sectarian militant groups as well as clearly condemning the Taliban .
Why we love to bring up our ethnicity anywhere and everywhere?
@Me2 so you got a problem with my nick name only? You should be looking a my comments not my nick. For you kind information there are alot Punjabi who are not pakistanis... and there are alot of pakistanis who are not Punjabi... i donot see a reason to object if someone call himself/herself Punjabi Pakistani or Sindhi Pakistani...
By the way, i got a question... why we love to bring religion anywhere and every where?
Oh No NOT Another Sunday where we cannot go anywhere thanks to MA JInnah road being BLOCKED . I request all Political Parties to kindly have their Rally ELSE where , do not Block Ma jinnah as we people have many work to complete on sunday including visiting our family members , visiting in Hospital & empress market . please have ur rally in an empty compound or field im sure the Press can come there to record yourlll, please dont waste our time our holiday .
@PP. next you'll call yourself PM (punjabi Muslim) and PH (punjabi human). As if Pakistani is not enough.
Me, too, want to hold a rally. Any joiners???????
Are they encouraging Zardari? "Go Zardari Go" certainly looks like they are pleading Zardari to have a go (at IK maybe?)
And what are they going to tell people?That it is hard for Punjabis to tolerate a 'Sindhi' President? And that all Sindhis supporting Punjabi N league should be 'ashamed' of being disloyal to their 'Sindhi' Qaum? We've already heard that.
The Tug of war between PML(N) and PPP on petty issues like this will certainly benefit PTI.
Will strings and Shahzad Roy be there, if No, then have mercy on Karachi people and stop hijacking our movements through rallies, 1 is enough for us, we need to do lot of things on Sunday too.
And when will PPP reply to BIG rally of Imran khan?