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Prime VIP
Lawmakers in the National Assembly here took strong umbrage to reported remarks by Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Khawaja Sharif alleging Hindu financing of terror attacks in the country.
It was judge’s turn to be judged in the National Assembly. Hindu and other minority parliamentarians cry out an anguished ‘Hi Bhagwan’ and led to what must be the first ever parliamentary boycott against a sitting chief justice of a high court. They were joined by members of the Awami National Party .
The protesters were brought back to hear words of sympathy from several Muslim members for the injured sentiments and some advice for judges to focus on delivering justice rather than publicity. Federal minister and PPP chief whip tried to pacify sentiments by describing the judge’s remarks as slip of tongue. “He apparently meant Hindustan and not Hindu,” minister Khurshid Shah said.
Justice Khawaja Sharif was reported observing during hearing of a case on Thursday about “Hindus” giving money and the Muslim militants using it to carry out terrorist activities.
PPP’s Hindu member Romesh Lal, who raised the issue, said sentiments of an estimated four million Pakistani Hindus had been injured by the LHC chief justice’s remarks, as reported in a section of the press, that while terrorist bomb blasts were being carried out by Muslims, “money used for this came from Hindus”.
The member said if a country was suspected of sponsoring such attacks it should be named, but blame should not be put on just Hindus who, he said, were as good patriots as other Pakistanis.
While drawing attention of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to what he called worry caused to Hindus, he appealed to Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of Justice Sharif’s remarks. As Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and some other members of the ruling PPP went out of the chamber to persuade the protesters to return, party chief whip and Labour and Manpower Minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah told the house the judge seemed to be blaming India for financing the Taliban rather Hindus, adding he was sure a clarification would come “by tomorrow”.
Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - World
It was judge’s turn to be judged in the National Assembly. Hindu and other minority parliamentarians cry out an anguished ‘Hi Bhagwan’ and led to what must be the first ever parliamentary boycott against a sitting chief justice of a high court. They were joined by members of the Awami National Party .
The protesters were brought back to hear words of sympathy from several Muslim members for the injured sentiments and some advice for judges to focus on delivering justice rather than publicity. Federal minister and PPP chief whip tried to pacify sentiments by describing the judge’s remarks as slip of tongue. “He apparently meant Hindustan and not Hindu,” minister Khurshid Shah said.
Justice Khawaja Sharif was reported observing during hearing of a case on Thursday about “Hindus” giving money and the Muslim militants using it to carry out terrorist activities.
PPP’s Hindu member Romesh Lal, who raised the issue, said sentiments of an estimated four million Pakistani Hindus had been injured by the LHC chief justice’s remarks, as reported in a section of the press, that while terrorist bomb blasts were being carried out by Muslims, “money used for this came from Hindus”.
The member said if a country was suspected of sponsoring such attacks it should be named, but blame should not be put on just Hindus who, he said, were as good patriots as other Pakistanis.
While drawing attention of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to what he called worry caused to Hindus, he appealed to Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of Justice Sharif’s remarks. As Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and some other members of the ruling PPP went out of the chamber to persuade the protesters to return, party chief whip and Labour and Manpower Minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah told the house the judge seemed to be blaming India for financing the Taliban rather Hindus, adding he was sure a clarification would come “by tomorrow”.
Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - World
