ISI, MI officials not to be included in judicial commission: Dar

Says govt will not object if commission wants to include MI, ISI; Punjab law minister dismisses PTI's shutdown call

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday the government is ready to resume talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf but reiterated that officials from intelligence agencies would not be included in the judicial commission to probe last year's polls, as demanded by Imran Khan.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, the finance minister also demanded the PTI chief to announce the cancellation of his “Plan-C”.

Dar argued that officials from the Military Intelligence (MI) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could not be included in the judicial commission to probe alleged rigging in general elections of 2013.

“A commission would be established under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 1956,” he said, adding that no one could direct the judicial commission.

He said, however, if the commission itself wants to include officials from intelligence agencies, the government would not object to it.

“A judicial commission through presidential ordinance is not feasible, and that will not be able to probe election rigging,” added the finance minister.

Punjab law minister terms PTI's call for shutdown a ‘distant dream’

Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman has stated that PTI's call for a nation-wide shutdown is an attempt to impact the country’s economy but added that strict action would be taken against those who disrupt law and order.

Rehman said PTI's call for a shutter down strike in Faisalabad on December 8 will remain a “dream”.

While giving a pre-session media briefing at the Punjab Assembly on Friday, the law minister, “70% of the country's economy relies on business in [Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore],” he said.”'Neither the chambers nor the trade unions are supporting their call. Their call for shutdown will remain a distant dream.”

Regarding PTI's strategy to block roads and traffic, he said the government had constituted its own plan.

“All routes and entry points will remain open in all these cities. No one will be allowed to block and close them,” he said. “We will deal with anyone trying to block the roads, strictly.”

Local Bodies’ elections

The minister said local bodies’ elections were not being delayed, deliberately, and the issue of delimitation had been handed over to the Election Commission of Pakistan, adding that once that is done they will go ahead with the polls.

Blind protesters incident

Rehman condemned the incident involving the manhandling of blind protesters by the Punjab police, saying that action had been taken against the police officers involved.

He, however, failed to respond to a query about his absence at the scene.

The 11th session of the Punjab Assembly was to begin today (Friday).