Senior Sindh Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza called on co-chairman PPP President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday. Dr Mirza who was summoned by the President to immediately report to the Party leadership in Islamabad after his highly provocative remarks, arrived Islamabad past midnight by a special plane.
The President during the meeting called for his explanation and expressed displeasure over his uncalled for remarks. The President asked him to be careful in making public statements and said that neither the party nor the government will condone offensive remarks.
The President said that all the Muhajirs, whether in Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Punjab or any other part of the country were Pakistanis and sons of the soil. He said that any suggestion to the contrary or any insinuation that tended to undermine their status as Pakistani nationals or patriotism is abhorrent. The President said that he also telephoned Altaf Hussain early Friday morning to convey his regrets over the uncalled for and unacceptable remarks of Mirza. The President said that the real and the greatest threat to the country came from the militants and emphasised upon the need to stand united against the real enemy.
The President said that this was time to strengthen democratic political forces, unite the people and build them as a bulwark against militancy and terrorism and not to do anything that undermined their strength. The President said our young democracy was under threat from militancy and extremism. The present situation demands political forces to manifest tolerance and patience so that the country, its people and nascent democracy could be protected from all such elements, which are hostile to democracy.-PR