Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Friday that a member who cursed the parliament cursed himself.

Abbasi said a member of the parliament should speak after due deliberation. “Those who indulged in cursing [the parliament] should apologise, or else they will get an answer in the election.”

The prime minister denied the placement of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Dr Tahirul Qadri’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

“According to my knowledge, Tahirul Qadri has Canadian citizenship,” he said, adding that the PAT chief was not alone on the stage during the Lahore rally, but the leadership of major political parties also accompanied him.

“Controversial statements were also made regarding the parliament from the stage, of which the House took notice.”

The premier said whatever Qadri was doing was being seen.

“I had this thing in my mind whether a foreign citizen can issue anti-government statements,” the premier said, adding they would take notice of the PAT’s chief’s statement regarding toppling the government.

To a question about the growing incidents of child abuse, he said: “We are trying our best to arrest the suspects of child abuse. High-ranking officials of police are present in Kasur and it is hoped that the suspect in the Kasur incident would be apprehended soon on the basis of available evidence.”

Abbasi said that there were some difficulties despite the availability of CCTV footage. He also said that investigations had been ongoing into firing during protests in Kasur.

Speaking about Balochistan’s political crisis, Abbasi said that he visited Quetta to inquire about the motives behind it. “Members told me that they are under immense pressure and receiving calls.”

“I went to Quetta to inform that in politics such motives are not good,” he said, adding that it was a party matter as their members had expressed no confidence in their chief minister.

The prime minister said that he had a meeting with the entire [PML-N] parliamentary party a few weeks ago, adding, “Differences lie in every household, every party.”

Asked about the recent statement by Chaudhry Nisar and Pervaiz Rashid, he said the two figures issued statements which came forth in the form of a disagreement. “The things that create ambiguity do not benefit politics,” Abbasi said.

Published in Daily Times, January 20^th 2018.