Lahore: Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Saturday said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s recent statement regarding the country’s martyrs was beyond comprehension, while stressing the need to acknowledge the sacrifices of the Pakistan armed forces in the fight against terrorism.
Addressing a seminar titled “The Role of the Army in Countering Terrorism”, organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Society, Malik Ahmad Khan said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had, in the past, voted in support of recognising former president Pervez Musharraf as president while he was in military uniform.
The speaker said the founder of PTI had also accepted the political role of the military when it facilitated his rise to power. He added that during his tenure in government, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was used extensively.
Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman remained a highly respected political figure for him. However, he remarked that some inappropriate words may have been spoken in the heat of the moment while referring to the country’s martyrs.
Highlighting the role of the armed forces, the speaker said that despite criticism of the military’s political role, the Pakistan Army had rendered unparalleled sacrifices in the war against terrorism, which could not be ignored.
He stressed that national unity against terrorism and recognition of the sacrifices made by state institutions were the need of the hour to ensure peace and stability in the country.