PM slams sloganeering against state institutions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday condemned undue sloganeering against state institutions during a conference which was organised on Sunday last.

In a statement, the prime minister said the coalition government and his party are fully determined to ensure freedom of expression of every citizen as per the Constitution adding the government itself provides such forums where people can openly express their difference of opinion on matters of public importance.

The prime minister said using such forums to target state institutions, especially the armed forces of Pakistan, for political and vested interests is regrettable. He said officers and personnel of the armed forces are sacrificing their lives to protect Pakistan from internal and external threats.

He assured upholding the fundamental right of freedom of expression and condemned the unjustified sloganeering against state institutions on Sunday last. Highlighting the need of demonstrating more responsibility at public level, he said such sloganeering by some of the participants is regrettable.

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the slogans raised at the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore were highly inappropriate. He said that his response to the slogans was also inappropriate as being a federal minister. He said that he should have responded to the slogans in the Asma Jahangir conference in a better way.

“The dangerous duffer talk was actually a reference to an old statement by Asma Jahangir and as a federal minister it was inappropriate for me to repeat it,” he regretted while talking informally with the newsmen at the Parliament House on Monday.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he does not want to create any misunderstanding at a time when the institutions are transitioning into a constitutional role. “Since the no-confidence motion, institutions have been transitioning themselves from a controversial to a constitutional role, which we want to encourage,” he said.

The foreign minister said his party and the coalition government fully believes in human rights and freedom of expression. He said that the civilians, his family and soldiers have been affected by terrorism and the army has played its role in the frontline to fight terrorism. “We, as a nation, have faced and fought terrorism,” he said.

PPP chairman said the Army has combatted the terrorists valiantly. The Army is on the target of terrorists and is fighting them courageously while offering supreme sacrifices. “While raising slogans, we should think that our brave soldiers who are giving sacrifices while fighting the terrorists should not feel hurt,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Asma Jahangir Conference is a noted platform for political parties, judiciary and human rights’ activists. “Federal ministers, ambassadors were invited on the platform of human rights, the slogans used in the Asma Jahangir conference were inappropriate,” he said.

On the floor of the National Assembly, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari welcomed the two newly elected members of the National Assembly, Ali Musa Gilani and Hakeem Baloch from Multan and Malir respectively and said, “We have fought the false propaganda and defeated the person who hurls baseless accusations at every opposition party and its leaders.

Former president and President of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the sloganeering against institutions .

“The survival of Pakistan depends on our institutions and it is a pity that one person has given this country nothing but abuse and hatred,” he said in a statement. The statement of Asif Ali Zardari seemingly comes in reference of speech of Manzoor Pashteen speech in Asma Jehangir conference.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari said every speech of this person is full of hatred instead of politics. “We all know where this person is coming from and at whose behest he is spreading hatred against institutions,” he said. Zardari also said that our soldiers and officers are sacrificing their lives in their uniforms and slogans against them are highly condemnable.