Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Syed Kazmi on Tuesday expressed the apprehension that Southern Punjab might be converted into another Swat if timely action was not taken against the extremists, who were strengthening their grip on the largest province of the country.
Taking part in the debate on ongoing military operation in Swat and other parts of the Malakand division in the National Assembly, the Minister said that it was the right time to take stern action against the militants in the Southern Punjab, where they were also organising themselves.
"It will be more difficult for the government to flush them out as it is facing difficulties in the tribal areas", the minister maintained. Explaining government's strategy, he said that it did not agree to enforce Nizam-e-Adl Regulation on the demand of Taliban but it was the demand of the people of the Malakand division for speedy justice. He added that the real face and the intention of the Taliban was badly exposed after signing of the deal as the militants did not want to have peace but to implement their own agenda at the behest of external forces.
Kazmi said that the government was left with no other option but to launch an offensive as it was clear that these elements were pursing the agenda of others by bringing a bad name not only to Pakistan but also to Islam.
PML-N lawmaker Ayaz Amir said that the military operation was the last option, which should be carried out in an effective way. "If it failed then we can not imagine what would happen to us and to this country", he remarked. He lamented that the decision were still taken in the GHQ instead of Parliament and the Parliament was just being informed after implementing the decision.
He also said that the operation was the decision of GHQ and Pentagon and the Parliament was still a rubber stamp even after more than one year of the political government. He said that the government should set its future's direction right, saying that it has wasted one-year without giving any effective policy to the nation.
Criticising the government for singing MoU with Afghan government in Washington regarding trade, he said, it would pave way to India in accessing a land route to Afghanistan through Pakistan, which was blocked for the last 60 years.
He was of the view that Pakistan should have at least taken up burgeoning water dispute with India prior to signing this pro-India MoU with Afghanistan. He urged the government to take effective pre-emptive measure to tackle the post operation situation. Otherwise, he said, it would deteriorate the internal situation as the repercussions of the action would be much serious than the wars we fought with India in the past.
He also said that the entire nation should extend its moral and political support to the military fighting the extremist elements. MQM deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi hailed the government's decision to launch offensive as his party strongly opposed the Nizam-e-Adle in the Parliament. He extended his party support and announced to give one moth salary of his party's parliamentarians for the relief of the internally displaced persons. He said that it was good omen that the nation realised the sensitivity of the situation and revisited its decision as the extremists were not actually demanding speedy justice but pursuing their own vested interests.
He underlined that government should also focus on other parts of the country to stop fleeing of these militants, adding that reforms in the religious seminaries are also need of the hour to abolish what he called 'the factories of the suicide bombers'.
Rizvi demanded of the government to explain its clear-cut policy on the status of Gilgit-Baltistan whether it is part of Pakistan. "If it is part of the country, then government should give the due rights to the people of the area, which are being denied to them for the last sixty years", he added.
PPP lawmaker Syed Sallahuddin, who hails from the restive Swat valley, walked out of the House when the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, did not gave him mike to speak. He said that he was being ignored by the speaker did not allow him to speak on Swat issue despite frequent requests.
Minority MNA Akram Masih Gil announced to given his one-month salary to the IDPs. Sahibzada Fazal Karim, Zafar Bag Bhatani, Akhundzada Chittan, Engineer Usman, Marvi Memon and others also spoke and stressed upon the government to ensure full-fledged arrangements for handling the issues of IDPs.