The abduction of Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, has put a question mark over the governance of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who demanded a full-scale operation to quell violence in Karachi and looks upset over the deteriorating law and order in other provinces, but is yet to take notice of the increasing incidents of crime in Punjab, particularly Lahore.
Not only the Pakistan People’s Party, but other political leaders have also questioned Shahbaz about his tall claims of good governance and commitment to provide safety to the people of the province, where a sitting governor was assassinated, while his son was abducted in broad daylight. An infuriated Raja Riaz, opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, demanded Shahbaz resign if he was left with some moral courage.
He said the provision of security to the former governor’s family was the responsibility of the Punjab government. Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa expressed his utter disappointment over the prevailing law and order in the province, saying it was a height of failure on part of the provincial government that a high-profile figure had been abducted from one of the busiest localities of Lahore. Khosa said Shahbaz should take control of Punjab and rescue Shahbaz Taseer instead of preaching about the Karachi situation.
PPP Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan said the writ of the Punjab government was challenged in Lahore and the kidnapping was a failure of Shahbaz Sharif. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan expressed concern over the kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer, saying that governments at the Centre and in the provinces had completely failed to maintain law and order and citizens had been left at the mercy of criminals. He said the kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer after the assassination of his father was a matter of serious concern.
PML-Q Punjab Secretary Information Akram Chaudhry said around 33,000 cases of abduction for ransom had been committed in Punjab, while the people who were linking such incidents to South Waziristan were accepting their incompetence to protect the life and property of the masses. All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Javaid Badr condemned the kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer. They said the incident was a matter of grave concern for all Pakistanis.
Qaumi Tajir Ittehad President Babar Ali Khan said the deteriorating law and order in the country had already compelled investors to stop investing in Pakistan and now the kidnapping incident in the provincial capital had shattered the confidence of the business community.
