LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has lamented the ‘inaction’ the government is showing on anti-state statements like Altaf Hussain.

“The prime minister cannot absolve himself of this shameful act by simply issuing a statement. He must act [against the MQM supremo], the Q leader said in a statement here on Friday.

He said that in the real sense the prime minister had failed to protect national interest and proved through his [in]action that in Altaf Hussain’s case that he had been a facilitator.

Thus, he said, the PM had failed to honour his oath of office by not discharging his responsibilities as protector of Pakistan’s sovereignty as he did not take action against anti-state elements.

Chaudhry Shujaat said that as per the Constitution and law of land, all those anti-Pakistan people and forces who have spitted venom against Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence and national security, as well as the prime minister who had not taken any action against such anti-state elements and played the role of a facilitator must be punished under Article-6 (high treason) of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, former PPP general secretary and ex-federal minister Dr Ghulam Husain alleges that the ruling PML-N is showing expediency on the MQM issue as Nawaz, Zardari and Altaf are members of the status quo club.

In a statement, Dr Husain claimed that Nawaz Sharif was hesitant to act against Altaf fearing ouster of his own government if parliamentarians of the MQM were disqualified for being representatives of an anti-state grouping.

Demanding a sedition case against Altaf and others, he said the MQM chief had revolted against the state by challenging Islamabad while seeking help from New Delhi, Washington and Tel Aviv.

GILANI: Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says those who speak against the country or raise anti-state slogans have no right to live here.

He was addressing a convention of Pakistan People’s Party workers in Multan on Friday, reports APP.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2016