Government and opposition senators condemn attack on Shirani

Senate acting chairman Khalilur Rahman said on Monday that remnants of the Taleban were believed to be involved in attack on Mohammad Khan Sherani.
His remarks seemed unintentional as the MMA senators promptly questioned him as to how he could ascertain Taleban's involvement when the investigations were yet to be completed.
"I had certain information, and I passed them on to the House," said the acting chairman who was presiding over the 14th session of the upper house.
The treasury and opposition benches condemned the attack on Maulana Mohammad Khan Shirani in Balochistan and said that the attack was aimed at deteriorating law and order in the province.
Leader of the house Waseem Sajjad said that the government and opposition had common enemy in the shape of terrorism. "Terrorism is eroding our society. The opposition and the government must co-operate to eradicate terrorism," he urged while condemning the attack.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told the house that Shirani was the target of a new wave of terrorism. Two persons have been arrested and one of them has confessed that he was involved in the attack, he informed the house.
He said that the attackers were enemies of Islam, Balochistan and Pakistan. They have roots outside the country, said the minister without naming any country or organisation.
On a point of order, MMA senator Ismail Buledi raised the issue and said that Shirani had never been a controversial figure. "Maulana spared no effort in the formation of the MMA," he said. The senator alleged that law enforcement agencies were involved in the attack.
Sanaullah Baloch, Raza Muhammad Raza, Liaqat Bangalzai, Kamran Murtaza, Mouhim Khan Baloch, Akram Wali, Ghafoor Ahmad, Azizullah Satakzai, Kalsoom Parveen, Khalid Ranjha and other opposition and treasury senators also condemned the attack and demanded holding of inquiry into the incident as some of them proposed the investigation by the judge of the high court.