National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain said on Monday that there was nothing wrong in thanking Israel for offering relief aid. Responding to a point of order by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, the Speaker defended his (Speaker's) express of gratitude to Israel's deputy education minister.
Chaudhry Amir Hussain informed the House that the Israeli minister came to his desk to remind him that his country was among the first few to offer relief aid. "On this, I thanked him on behalf of the country," he remarked.
The Speaker thought in his personal view there was nothing wrong in expressing gratitude to a country even with which Pakistan did not have diplomatic relations.
He had thanked the Israel minister at the annual conference of the Parliamentary Network in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, the other day.
However, Amir Hussain added when the Israeli minister asked, how could this aid be delivered, the Speaker told him that the foreign office could guide him on this count. He said there was no further dialogue between him and the Israel minister.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed wanted to know as to what had transpired between the two at the conference, as MMA had reservations about the meeting, as he (Speaker) was the custodian of the House.
Earlier, Maulana Noor Mohammad, another MMA member, criticised a local private television channel for telecasting a movie about Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and his companions.