The army is responsible for incapacitating democracy in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday.
Speaking at a reference held in the memory of late journalist Saleem Shehzad under the auspices of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Nawaz said according to him the armed forces had sabotaged the Kashmir dispute the most.
The PML N chief said the presentation of the defence budget in the National Assembly was part of the Charter of Democracy. Criticising Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Nawaz said the PM should implement parliament’s resolution before asking US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to respect it. Talking about the deceased journalist, he asked the Supreme Court to take a suo motu action.
On the Kargil issue, Nawaz said former president Pervez Musharraf launched the Kargil attack without the consent of the civilian government and even the corps commanders were not taken into confidence before the offensive.
Various renowned journalists and human rights activists including SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam, Pakistan Today Editor-in-chief Arif Nizami, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Jugnu Mohsin, Ahmad Rasheed, human rights activist Hina Jillani, and social activist Dr Akmal Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
The speakers criticised the armed forces on the recent developments that took place in the country, including the Abbottabad raid, attack on the PNS Mehran base, Shehzad’s murder and the cold-blooded killing of a citizen by the Rangers in Karachi.
Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami expressed grief over the increasing number of deaths of journalists in pursuit of their professional obligations. He said while everyone was busy demanding the formation of a commission to probe the death of Shehzad, the one formed on the killing of Osama bin Laden had died even before its birth. He said the killers of Shehzad would have been brought to justice by now had they not belonged to some state institution.
He said Nawaz was a different man now and understood the problems of the country. Imtiaz Alam said the government was not able to form a commission on Shehzad’s killing. “We do not blame any state institution but do not know how Shehzad was kidnapped in a broad daylight in a high security zone.”
Mujeebur Rehman Shami said the entire nation was protesting the killing of Shehzad. “I was surprised that the Supreme Court did not take notice on Saleem’s murder,” he said. Hina Jillani said the army was the biggest threat to the country, but “we should focus to change its line of direction”. Ahmad Rasheed urged to reform the foreign policy of the country and asked the military to end its “jihad” policy. A media commission was also announced on the occasion to follow Shahzad’s case and to pressurise the government to seek justice.