Political pot shots: Govt did not order shooting at PAT workers says minister

‘No one can reform the system by staging sit-ins’.

MULTAN:

The government of Punjab would never order anything as foolish as the killing of innocent people anywhere, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Mashhood Khan said on Wednesday. “The judicial commission is probing the incident and it will soon be apparent that this was nothing but a drama staged by Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri,” he said.

Mashhood was addressing a press conference at the Circuit House in Multan. He said the government had not tried to influence the judicial commission. “Rana Sanaullah had nothing to do with the killings because he believes in democratic process unlike Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan who is threatening to topple the government.”

He said the PML-N did not plan on using underhanded tactics like the PTI or Tahirul Qadri. “We do not fear the goons. The investigation will reveal that Qadri is only trying to gain political brownie points from the Model Town tragedy.”

Regarding Imran Khan’s proposed Azadi March, Mashhood said no one could reform the system by staging sit-ins. The parliament is the best forum to bring change and amend the Constitution. He said any steps that by-pass the parliament would be considered extra-judicial. The long march in support of the judiciary was in a completely different context, he said.

However, no one will be allowed to take Islamabad hostage, he said. On Qadri’s talk of revolution, Mashhood said his call for revolution was a call for anarchy. He said revolution was a gradual change. Those pointing fingers at law enforcement agencies were working on foreign agenda, he said.

He said the youth had become disenchanted with Imran Khan.

“The people of Punjab trust the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government. If Imran Khan wants to regain the people’s trust, he should try to compete with us in trying to raise funds for internally displaced persons. I can assure you that the collection from the Punjab will be three fourths of the funds raised for IDPs,” Mashhood said.

Metro Bus for Multan

Mashhood said that the chief minister would inaugurate the Metro Bus project in Multan on August 14 and also announce other development projects for the city. He said the FIA and the NAB were probing allegations of corruption by politicians in the previous government.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2014.