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Nisar says heart wrenching incidents across the world do not trigger violent reactions like in Lahore's Youhanabad. — APP/file
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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has reiterated his strong condemnation of the mob that brutally killed two men in the aftermath of the deadly church bombings in Lahore’s Youhanabad area, saying that the lynching witnessed on Sunday is “the worst form of terrorism”.
Nisar, speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, invoked the example of earlier attacks on imambargahs and mosques, and said that a violent mob reaction like that in Youhanabad was not witnessed in those incidents.
“A similar incident occurred right in the heart of Paris where a synagogue was attacked,” Nisar added, “But the minority Jews did not react violently in the French capital.”
While he acknowledged that minorities have been targeted in the country for the last 14 years, he added that heartrending incidents across the world do not trigger violent reactions like in Lahore.
Outline of Chaudhry Nisar’s address in Parliament:
- Those involved in Youhanabad lynching will be punished
- Not possible to secure every mosque, imambargah in the country
- Shafqat Hussain case should not be politicised
- Call for country to become an open, liberal, independent and democratic society
“Shias were attacked in Shikarpur and Quetta but no reaction was witnessed like the one in Lahore — what message did the burning of two men send to the world?” he said, adding that the burning of the two men and damage to government installations is the “worst form of terrorism”.
He added that the mob was promoting the agenda of terrorists. “The intention of the terrorists is to spread sectarian strife. Naeem was an innocent citizen,” Nisar said, referring to one of the deceased men who has been identified by his family.
Nisar expressed appreciation for the efforts of senior Christian leaders of Lahore to defuse the situation, but warned that strict action would be taken against those who lynched and burnt the two men. “The incident is a cause of humiliation for our country, police, courts and government.”
“We have recorded the faces of many culprits courtesy of the media, we shall take action against each and every one of them.”
He highlighted that the dead include “seven Muslims as well”, although he soon added, “I am giving this statement only to clarify the records since the death of one person, be it Muslim or Christian, is tantamount to the death of all humanity.”
'Impossible to secure all places of worship'
Nisar admitted that it was not possible for authorities to secure each mosque and place of worship in the country.
He said police did not have enough manpower to depute three to four personnel at every place of worship let alone schools.
"We cannot shutdown our markets, schools or places of worship. This is what the terrorists want. We have to become an open, liberal, independent and democratic society," said the federal interior minister adding that, "We have limitations, but there has been improvement."
He also appealed for focus to be shifted on the improvement which has taken place in the country rather than on individual incidents.
Nisar said that the country is in a state of war and the nation will have to unite and remain prepared for any threat.
He appreciated the efforts of the parliament in maintaining unison in the country and said that through the combined efforts of the nation the terrorists will be sent to hell.
'Do not politicise Shafqat Hussain case'
Earlier, the federal interior minister spoke about the issue pertaining to the execution of a condemned prisoner, Shafqat Hussain, who is said to have been juvenile at the time of committing the crime and appealed that the case should not be politicised.
"I respect the reaction to the issue but have to ask why the issue was not raised in and outside the courts when the ATC had handed down the punishment in 2004 or when the appeal was presented in a high court in 2006 and in the apex court in 2007," Nisar said.
He further asked as to why had anyone not questioned the rejection of the convict's appeal by the then president of Pakistan in 2012.
The federal interior minister said that the government had forwarded the proposal of conducting a DNA test of the prisoner and added that, "The Sindh government has written to us today that the DNA test of the convict cannot be conducted since it would negate all previous legal proceedings."
Also read: PPP for halting Shafqat’s execution
He said that if the PPP or any other party wants a stay on the execution then they should also advise a way to prove that the age of the convict recorded in the official documents is incorrect.
Nisar reminded that any action in this regard would have to be taken within the next 36 hours as that is the deadline to the execution.
He also said that, "The rights of the aggrieved party have to be considered as well, as the victim was a seven-year-old boy from Karachi, as well as a Pakistani."http://www.dawn.com/news/1170157/mob-lynching-is-worst-kind-of-terrorism-says-nisar
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