Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday offered prayers (Fateha) for the departed soul of a Jamaat e Islami (JI) of Bangladesh leader Mattiur Rehman who was hanged to death last night in Dhaka for being pro-Pakistan in 1971 war.

Speaking on the occasion, JI Parliamentary Leader Sahibzada Tariqullah said that six people have been sentenced to death so far in Bangladesh, which he said was an inhuman act and we strongly condemned it. He said the people who demonstrated loyalty with united Pakistan in 1971 war were being treated brutally.

He said it was injustice and unbearable act and a resolution should be adopted unanimously in the house to condemn it. Tariqullah said thousands of people are still in Bangladeshi jails for the same act, saying the foreign office should summon the High Commissioner of Bangladesh and record protest.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aijaz Jakhrani termed it a sad incident and said the JI leaders were being punished for their loyalty with Pakistan. Shaista Pervaiz Malik said it was violation of an agreement signed in 1974 between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the house should pass a resolution against this act as this was violation of 1974 agreement. Mehmood Khan Achakzai suggested that a parliamentary delegation should visit Bangladesh to persuade the above mentioned government to stop the series of killing of people who showed loyalty to Pakistan.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq observed that he would arrange meeting of senior parliamentarians with officials of the Foreign Office in this regard. Meanwhile, Jakhrani said it was a good day for his party that Ali Haider Gilani the son of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani had been recovered from kidnapers after three years.

Speaker National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq said he had also made a phone call to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and congratulated him.