Islamabad, July 26: At the district development board meeting here today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators protested against the failure of the government to arrest the culprits involved in the cold blooded murder of three teenagers here on June 29. The legislators later staged a walk-out.
The meeting chaired by Finance Minister Abdul Raheem Rather was attended by several legislators and parliamentarians of the ruling coalition government and the legislators from the opposition as well.
As soon as the meeting began at the local Dak Bungalow, PDP legislators raised a hue and cry and demanded punishment to the police officials allegedly involved into the cold blooded murder in Anchidora area of the town.
“At this moment development issues hold no relevance for the people who have seen the three teenagers being shot at by the police personnel,” Deputy Speaker, Sartaj Ahmad Madni, pointed out.
He was seconded by other legislators of the party including Abdul Rehman Veeri; chief whip Abdul Gaffar Sofi; MLA Pahalgam Rafi Ahmad Mir, MLA Shangus Peer Mansoor Hussain and MLC Nizam-u-din Khatana who stood up and protested.
Speaking on the occasion, Peer Mansoor Hussain said, “The incident is about to complete a month and despite assurance from the Chief Minister of taking action against the culprits within 24 hours not even a formal FIR has been registered against the accused policemen.”
Abdul Rehman Veeri said that at a time when the entire focus of the government should have been devising a strategy to safeguard the lives of civilians and book the cops involved in perpetrating human rights violations, it is trying to befool the people by conducting board meetings.
Rafi Ahmad Mir, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Nizamu-din Khatana accused the government of following the diktats of Union Home Ministry and waging war against its own people.
The legislators said no progress had been made in the investigation so far in spite of overwhelming evidence available to the police and not even identification parade had been carried out which was a preliminary requirement for such investigation.
Referring to the continued curfew and ‘excessive force to suppress the voice of the people by the government,’ the leaders said this had resulted in total disruption of life, collapse of the system and all administrative organs of the government. In such circumstances the PDP leaders said holding district development board meetings was nothing more than an eyewash and it would serve nobody’s interest. They told the Chairman of district development board that the government had lost its credibility and moral standing and holding such meetings at this time was meaningless as the government had unleashed a war on the people.
Though the Finance Minister requested the PDP members to raise every issue during the meeting but they refused and after conveying their message staged a walk-out.
“We cannot discuss development at the backdrop of the atrocities committed by the CRPF and police on innocent people,” the PDP legislators shouted and left the hall.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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