I
just want to keep you updated about the condition of Pakistani
Christians. This event is about Charsadda(Town) which is 300miles from
my home town. In Charsadda there are 500-600 hundreds people
are discriminated by extremists. They were threatening to death.
ISLAMABAD: Several Christian families have fled their homes in Charsadda after they received threatening letters to shut churches and convert to Islam, a rights activist said on Friday. Shahbaz Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, claimed that extremist elements were responsible for the letters, which gave Christians until May 17 to convert. He said several Christian families living in the town have already migrated to other places. He appealed President General Pervez Musharraf for immediate measures for safety of the minority community. "The extremists are asking us to change our religion. We will not do it, even if we have to die," Bhatti told The Associated Press. The Charsadda police said they have stepped up security at churches in the town. It is to be recalled that there were three blasts in Charsadda last week had destroyed a number of music stores, while the extremists were also pressing closure of schools for girls.
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD : The National Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution to condemn the Charsadda suicide attack on Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, in which 28 people were killed and 52 others injured, while expressing sympathies and solidarity with the bereaved families.
The joint resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi with the support all the parliamentary parties, condemned the terrorist activity in Charsadda in the strongest terms and prayed to Almighty Allah for the early recovery of the injured persons. The House recommends the government to extend all kind of financial and other help to the grieved families, it said.
Earlier, several adjournment motions were moved on the issue from both sides of the House. The opposition also demanded holding a joint session of parliament to debate external and internal threats to the country.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement proposed setting up of a parliamentary committee, comprising both treasury and opposition legislators, to discuss the issue and formulate a joint strategy to combat terrorist activities.
Though Mondays proceedings remained by and large peaceful, a few remarks by a treasury MNA, MP Bhandara, caused some stir. However, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain prevented the situation from getting worse.
The issue was raised when Bhandara, while speaking on the resolution, said: Well have to wage a war to make Pakistan according to the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam in which religion has nothing to do with the affairs of the state. The MMA members protested these remarks. However, the speaker handled the situation by switching off the mike of Bhandara and asking him to sit down and avoid any controversial remarks.
Kicking off the debate on the suicide blast, PPPP deputy parliamentary leader Raja Pervez Ashraf accused the government of failing in eliminating terrorist activities from the country. When individuals make policies without consulting the people, it is difficult to combat terrorism, he said, adding that because of growing terrorist activities no one was safe in the country, not even Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the federal ministers. Untainted democracy and transparent elections are inevitable for prevention of terror acts, he said.
Treasury member Noor Jehan Panezai urged the opposition not to politicise this issue. All should sit together and ascertain causes of terrorism. Liaqaut Baloch of the MMA proposed a joint session of parliament for discussing internal and external threats to the country and finding out root causes of such incidents. The challenges facing the country in the perspective of internal and external situation be debated in the House, he demanded.
An attempt was made on the life of the interior minister like his brother and in the incident precious lives were lost, he said, adding that the NWFP is affected by the prevailing situation in the tribal areas.
Abdul Waseem of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement called for tracing the hideouts of terrorists and the masterminds of terror attacks. A parliamentary committee should be constituted to find a solution to this issue, he demanded.
Shahabuddin of the ANP termed the Charsadda incident a cowardly act. The state within the state should be eliminated and Fata be integrated into national mainstream, enforcing Constitution of Pakistan and the law of land there.
He asked the government to de-weaponise different groups in Fata, otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain peace in the tribal areas. Local Bodies Minister Abdul Razzaq Taheem said that the accused in attacks on the president and prime minister were arrested. The perpetrators of this incident would also be captured. Nek Zaman from Fata said: We are fighting a US war in our country.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 May 2007 18:40 |
