Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday said a case will be registered against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah for ‘speaking against Pakistan Army’.
“It has been decided to lodge a case against Mufti Kifayatullah in Lahore,” Sh Rashid told a private TV channel. “The language he used against our great army which has given countless sacrifices is not acceptable,” he said, adding that action will be taken according to the constitution and law against whoever uses abusive language against the armed forces.
The minister was apparently referring to recent comments made by Kifayatullah during a TV talk show, in which he said ‘generals too should be held accountable for their theft’.
At a post-cabinet meeting press conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Shibli Faraz also condemned Kifayatullah’s remarks as ‘shameful’, saying he appeared to be advancing India’s agenda. Faraz said leaders of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were saying things at their rallies that were similar to the Indian propaganda campaign against Pakistan.
“The kind of disinformation campaign started by India, we are seeing similar things are being said from the platform of the PDM, whether they are in the form of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz of Mufti Kifayatullah,” Faraz said. “This was a very organised campaign aimed at maligning the state of Pakistan, weakening the country and creating chaos whose replay or actual version we are seeing in the form of PDM.”
The minister said the government had taken “strict notice” of such statements and was also “monitoring” the situation, adding that the developments were not taking place in isolation. “We are getting reports on everything such as who is linked to Hussain Haqqani [and] who is advising whom,” he told the media.
Terming Kifayatullah’s remarks as ‘shameful’, Faraz said the JUI-F leader through his comments was only pleasing the ‘enemy’ because whatever was said in Pakistan was run as ‘breaking news’ on India TV channels in a matter of moments.
“Willingly or unwillingly, you have become a facilitator of the actions of India which is our arch-enemy,” he said.
