Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Saturday expressed deep sorrow and regret over the Sialkot incident, and said that narrow-minded religious fanaticism is like a time bomb which needs to be defused before it is too late. “What should I say about the Sialkot incident other than the fact that we as a nation must stand together and dismantle such ticking time-bombs before they detonate. The sands of time are slipping from our fingers, we must act and act now,” he said in a tweet.

The minister said that such incidents sadden the society for a couple of days and then everyone forgets the incident till next tragedy. He said such type of apathy from the society can lead to bigger tragedies as many countries have witnessed bloodshed at the hands of such fanatics. Meanwhile, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said on Saturday that exemplary punishment would be awarded to the culprits of the Sialkot incident to set a precedent for such an incident occurring ever again.

Talking to the media, he said the police had arrested the two main accused of the incident in addition to a 110 others. To a question, he said that Pakistan was fighting the case of Namoos-e-Risalat (PBUH) At an international level. He further said that people should not take the law into their own hands and must accept the writ of the state. He stressed the need for changing the mindset of the people and added that collective efforts were required in this regard.

To another query, he said that a comprehensive inquiry was being conducted with regard to the incident.

Responding to a question about Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protest, he said that as far it was concerned the incumbent government opted the dialogue option in the larger interest of the county.