Thaindian News

Islamabad, Mar 5(ANI): Extremist elements have safe havens in seminaries located in south Punjab and are carrying out terrorist activities across Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said.

Legislators from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as well as the opposition parties in the National Assembly raised their voices, seeking Malik’s resignation for his failure to provide security to a federal minister.

Malik came down hard on PML-N legislators, who criticised him for three recent incidents- assassinations of former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti and a murder attempt on former Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi.

“Where is the GHQ that was attacked, where is the FIA Lahore office that was attacked, where is the Moon Market and where Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi was killed. I do my job instead of visiting ‘Tandoor to Tandoor’ or establishing medicine factory,” The News quoted him, as saying.

Malik said that those demanding his resignation should know that the Lal Masjid Operation had also taken place during their regime, which had killed many innocent people.

“Those who are blaming me for the three terrorist incidents taken place in the capital, I want to inform them that a trained constable of Punjab police targeted Salman Taseer. They should know that the attack on Major General Mushtaq, GHQ, FIA Office, Lahore, Moon Market, and on Maulana Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi, all had taken place in Punjab and why didn’t they resign at that time,” he said.

Malik said he was ready to resign if the allegations levelled against him are proved.

“A judicial inquiry commission should be constituted to probe into the matter, and if any security lapse is found, I will resign,” he maintain.Malik also said he was on the top of the hit list of banned outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, while PPP politicians Sherry Rehman and Fauzia Wahab followed him. (ANI)