ISLAMABAD – Creating a strong sense of discrimination among parliamentarians belonging to minorities, the National Assembly session was prorogued on Friday without passing any condemnatory resolution against the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, as the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to condemn the brutal killing of the minorities’ minister. During NA proceedings on Thursday, MPs from minorities demanded the government bring a unanimous resolution to condemn the assassination of Bhatti, to which Law Minister Dr Babar Awan had also given his consent, but the session was prorogued without tabling and passage of any such resolution from the treasury or opposition benches.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PML-Q MNA Akram Masih Gill said it was regrettable that the NA session was prorogued without condemning Bhatti’s murder. “Babar Awan had assured us of drafting a resolution in consultation with Raza Rabbani to be passed by the NA. Today I could not attend the NA sitting due to my engagement with Bhatti’s burial services, but I am shocked to know that the government tabled no such resolution in the House,” he said. He said such behaviour had disappointed minorities.
Meanwhile, condemning the assassination and paying tribute to Bhatti, the Sindh Assembly in its resolution said: “the House recognises his assassination as another attack on peace and progress of Pakistan”.
Expressing serious concern over the non-passage of the condemnatory resolution by the National Assembly against Bhatti’s murder, Dr Nelson Azeem, PML-N MNA from minorities, said it had proved that minorities were not treated equally. “Such things aggravate our sense of discrimination,” he said, adding that the resolution was not tabled despite minorities MPs demand. PPP’s Lal Chand also criticised the session without condemnation.
