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No formal request sent to UK govt on Altaf statement: Nisar
Minister says matter of statement, cooperation in murder of Dr Imran Farooq come under discussion
APPISLAMABAD –Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday informed the National Assembly that Pakistan government has sent no formal request to British government about recent statement of MQM chief Altaf Hussain about armed forces and rangers.
In a brief statement before the House, the minister said that a day earlier the UK high commissioner met with him and a number of issues were discussed including the statement of Altaf Hussain and Dr Imran Farooq case.
“However, foreign media released news that the government had requested formally. This perception is not right. No formal request has been forwarded to UK government by the time I am speaking before the House. However, the matter of statement and cooperation in murder of Dr Imran Farooq had come under discussion,” he added.
With respect to Dr Imran Farooq's murder, Nisar said that both the governments were already cooperating on this issue and shall continue in future as well. “Nobody should look for political implications out of this cooperation. It is the matter of an innocent Pakistani who was murdered in UK and taking this case to its ultimate ending,” the minister added.
Discussing the issue of Shafqat Hussain who was understood by social media as a juvenile and awaits implementation of capital punishment, Chaudhry Nisar stated that he was yet provided no proof about his actual age. “Since he was awarded punishment till today nowhere including the ATC, Sindh High Court, the Supreme Court and mercy petition before the president, any clue about his age was found.”
He further stated that Nadra had been busy for last many days to ascertain his age in AJK but to no gain. “What all we have about his age is an ascertainment by the jail doctor and jail authorities who had respectively declared his age as 25 and 23 when he was jailed in 2004.”
“Till last night, we had no clue about his age. But as the matter was played up in social media, he with the permission of the prime minister contacted the president and requested postponement of awarding capital punishment to Shafqat Hussain for another 72 hours,” the minister said.
Similarly, the implementation of capital punishment for Saulat Mirza was also postponed for 72 hours on request of Balochistan government because he was not in a better health condition for execution, he added. Later, responding to a point of order by MNA Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the interior minister said that he was ready to issue a statement on Karachi operation any time the House wants.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk