ISLAMABAD: A PML-N lawmaker has exp­ressed serious concerns over incidents of alle­ged blasphemy during PTI’s events and urged the government to take notice of the issues.

On Monday, Sheikh Rohale Asghar, the MNA from Lahore, said he was worried over the situation after the recent incident in Mardan where a cleric was lynched by an enraged mob after rumours that he had uttered alleged blasphemous remarks.

Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, Mr Asghar said the incident took place at a gathering organised by the PTI to express solidarity with the judiciary.

He was referring to the incident on Saturday, where a cleric, Nigar Alam, was beaten to death in Sawa­ldher village after a crowd interpreted his remarks to be allegedly blasphemous. The footage of Mr Alam’s speech, as well as that of his killing, went viral on social media.

Says two incidents occurred during party’s gatherings

The PML-N lawmaker also referred to another PTI gathering where a child uttered alleged blasphemous remarks while praising former prime minister Imran Khan in the presence of PTI leaders.

Mr Asghar regretted that no action has been taken against any PTI leader who was present at the event and also against those responsible for the child’s upbringing.

He claimed that the PTI leaders were promoting a culture of “incivility and indecency” and called for steps to thwart this trend.

Smuggling at Pak-Afghan border

Earlier, PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail moved a calling attention notice on the smuggling of counterfeit medicines through Afghan border.

Responding to the notice, Minister for Par­liamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi said Customs and the army were making efforts to prevent smuggling and illegal trade across the border. He said counterfeit medicines worth Rs778m were recently seized near the border.

The authorities have thwarted around 36 other attempts to smuggle counterfeit medicine thr­ou­­gh the border. He said there were only two check posts at Torkham and Chaman on a long and porous border with Afghanistan, Mr Abbasi said.

The house proceedings will resume today (Tuesday).

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2023