SRINAGAR: After receiving criticism from different quarters which saw the move could be damaging for the “Kashmir cause”, the Pakistani Punjab government decided to strike the name of in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PaK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider off the FIR, Pakistani newspaper The Dawn reported.
The police case had triggered a sort of circus in Pakistan politics with even Prime Minister Imran Khan commenting on the issue, indirectly.
Raja Farooq Haider, the incumbent PaK Prime Minister with many other politicians was booked for sedition and the case was registered on basis of a complaint by a Pakistani citizen, Badar Rasheed filed. The complaint accused him and others of waging war against Pakistan, website The print reported.
“This is the first time a Kashmiri has been booked for sedition in Pakistan,” the report said.
Others identified by the website include former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and several other leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) including Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Senator Pervaiz Rashid. They all had attended the party’s meetings addressed by Sharif from London via a video link last week. The case was registered on Monday.
The complainant alleged that the purpose of calling the meeting and the speeches of the former PM and PML-N leaders was to endorse the policy of neighbouring country India aimed to get Pakistan declared ‘a rouge state’ and to keep its name on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), The Dawn said.
“The FIR says that during his speeches at the party meetings via video conference, Sharif supported the policies of India so that Pakistan continues to remain on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘grey list’. Haider was also allegedly present during the meeting, the FIR says,” The Print reported.
“He further alleged that the leaders had gathered at the APC to “conspire” against the country as well as national institutions,” according to The Dawn.
After the news about the case was reported everywhere, the government came on a defensive front.
Quoting the Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, The Dawan said: “We will strike off the name of Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider from the FIR at the investigation stage. However, the investigation against others nominated in the case will proceed as per law.”
Responding to a tweet, Pakistan’s Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said Imran Khan has expressed displeasure over the registration of the case.
The interesting part of the story was Raja’s tweet. “Indian PM Narendra Modi must b feeling elated coz almost entire Pakistan has become his “agent”- thanks to the small-minded bigots who’ve least realisation of the repercussions of their parish-pump & hate-filled politics,” Raja wrote. “As an anti-India Kashmiri, I’m worried about my future now.”
