NUZHAT NAZAR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Thursday questioned the existence and formation of banned militant organisations in the country, bringing a bad name to Pakistan.

Speaking at a news conference here at National Press Club, the former minister for information, broadcasting and national heritage, who lost the portfolio in ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet in wake of Dawn Leaks inquiry, also posed questions on the financers of these proscribed organisations.

“Who had actually decided to create these organisations which are now proscribed and have become a curse that needs to be eliminated,” he said, adding: “Who are still financing, facilitating and supporting these banned outfits?”

He said there was no possibility of any martial law in the country under the Article 6, adding in the past the dictators not only suspended the constitution but also staged military coups. He also said the principle of transparency, democracy and rule of law are still being denied to recognise.

He also questioned ‘defence analysts’ as to whether they had tried to write anything in the past 25-30 years about the military coups staged by General Ayub Khan, General Zia ul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf.

Commenting on the Right to Information Bill, 2017, he said under the new bill, every citizen would have the right to access information.

“Under this law, we have the right to access information but when we approach to get any specific information then the issue of national security is cited as an excuse to block the information,” he added.

He also said that Pakistan had suffered a lot due to those banned organisations and yet access to information was blocked under the shelter of security concerns.

He said that only making the laws could not solve the matters until they were implemented in true letter and spirit.