Punjab Assembly adopts resolution against ex-envoy’s comments on Ahmadis

Resolution demands legal action against Wajid Shamsul Hasan for opposing a consensus decision of the National Assembly

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted on Friday a resolution condemning former High Commissioner to UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan's statement allegedly declaring members of the Ahmadi community as Muslims.

The comments which had been attributed to Hasan by an Urdu daily caused uproar in the House on Thursday and sparked debate which concluded today with MPA Waheed Gul putting forth the resolution.

The resolution condemned the former envoy's comments in which he stated that former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s decision to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims was wrong.

Stressing that the remarks hurt the sentiments of Muslims, the resolution called upon the federal government to initiate legal action against Hasan for making a statement in opposition to the decision that was taken by the National Assembly in the past.

Read: Furore in PA over ex-envoy’s comments on Ahmadis

On Thursday, MPAs from both the treasury and opposition benches demanded that a joint resolution be passed to condemn the statement. Raising several slogans during the session, lawmakers including MPAs Ilyas Chinioti, Dr Farzana Nazeer, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Qazi Ahmad Saeed, took to the floor to condemn the alleged statement.

Mian Aslam Iqbal said that Hasan should be stripped off all government titles and awards. Pakistan People’s Party parliamentary leader Qazi Ahmad Saeed proposed that an FIR be lodged against Hasan. He urged the government to take strict action against the former high commissioner.