Army not into politics, in past or present: Sh Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Monday said that Pakistan's armed forces had never been into politics in the past, neither are or will be into it in future

Talking to media persons after chairing a meeting at Islamabad Chief Commissioner Office, he said the armed forces had backed democracy in the past and would do so in future. He said former President Asif Zardari had a PhD in criminology and knew tactics to avoid hardships of jail because he spent his most imprisonment period in hospitals rather than in jail.

"Asif Zardari talked about filling jails in the Sunday's gathering at Larkana, but he has spent most of his sentence in hospitals instead of prison.

He has done a PhD in criminology and knows how to avoid hardships of jail because he spent most of his sentence in hospitals,” he added. He said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) members would participate in Senate elections. He criticised Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for raising the slogan of "Prime Minister Bilawal Bhutto" at Garhi Khuda Bux. "The opposition parties just want their NAB cases dropped and they would participate in the upcoming Senate elections. MNA Murtaza Javed Abbasi will refuse to tender his resignation before the National Assembly Speaker and would not follow the guidelines of Maryam Nawaz," he claimed.

Sheikh Rashid said as per law only handwritten resignations duly signed by the members and having required details were considered for further action, adding that all typed or computerised resignations had no legal status. "There are about 450 seminaries in the capital which are teaching students in true spirit without any involvement in other activities," he added.

He said the PML-N leadership had served dictator Zia-ul-Haq for personal gains. The minister announced a housing colony for print and electronic media journalists, including cameramen and photographers of the country, in Islamabad. Accordingly, he said, directives have been issued to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration for identification of a suitable site and coordination with elected bodies of the journalist community.