LAHORE -  All major political and religious parties of national mainstream have termed Information Minster Pervaiz Rashid’s removal for an inquiry into a news item concerning the national security matters as a mere eyewash.

They demanded stern action under the law after the completion of three-member intelligence agencies team probe into the matter that has tarnished the image of vital national security institutions.

The fed news item, which published on October 6 in a leading English daily, had ‘legitimised’ the propaganda of international media especially India against key national security organisations, they observed.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief senator Sirajul Haq suggested government to go-ahead for a through self-criticism, terming the resignation of the Information Minister a point to ponder over deeply. He said there were some highly irresponsible people in the government due to whom even sensitive national issues were at stake.

He said that the mere removal of Rashid was no punishment for such serious a charges and there should be action against him under the law. The leak, he added, indicated that some times, some people would go to any extent to fulfil enemy designs. He said that those named in the Panama leaks and corruption were eating the country’s resources like white ants and it was time to drive them out from the power corridors.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri viewed the removal of Rashid by government on security leak matter just an eyewash claiming no action will be taken against the information minister.

“The resignation of Pervaiz Rashid is just an eyewash. No action will be initiated against him as he is just a scapegoat to protect the real culprits who got published a story against the national interests and state and security institutions,” he said in a statement issued from PAT head office Model Town.

He said now Rashid will be bathed in holy water and reinstated on the same post after a few months in the same manner as Mushaidullah was first removed from his ministry but now he was official spokesman for the prime minister. He said it was shameful the rulers were playing with the national security institutions.

PTI’s senior leader Arif Alvi said removal of information minister needed to be investigated thoroughly as Rashid could not undertake such a dangerous action without the approval of his party head who is ruling the country.

Strictest legal action should be taken against all found involved in a poisonous campaign against the national security institutions and Rashid should not be made just a ‘scapegoat’, he added.

Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, JUP-Niazi head Pir Masoom Naqvi and leaders of Majlise Wahdatul Muslimeen also demanded of the complete investigation of the security leak issue terming the baseless news a crime against national interest.

PML-N and the PPP see resignation of Rashid a major step towards fixing responsibility for the leakage of the highly secret information of the security meeting and its publication. Most of the men on the ruling side had either switched off their mobile cells to talk on the issue or they were quite reserved in expressing their opinion on the matter. Most of the PML-N men contacted spoke to this scribe appeared not in the loop with the top leadership of the party to tell what exactly is going to happen.

The PPP men on the other hand are more precise saying it is confession on the part of the government and now it has to be seen how many more heads will roll and where the buck will finally stop.

The PPP men say the PML-N is quite in a clutter and the government of this party was losing its grip. PPP leader Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan said Information minister’s resignation amply signifies the prime minister is getting his foothold on the power weak and he is on the way of submission. The move openly tells the government’s stealing has been unearthed, he added.

PML-N Lahore City president M Pervez Malik prayed the situation should cool down and do not aggravate to anymore. He said Rashid has stepped down only to see the inquiry taking place in a free and fair manner.

He said it was not good to say that Rashid has been asked to quit as punishment and added the inquiry on the issue has yet to take place and that will determine who actually was the responsible for the publication in question. Malik overruled that any panic on the issue existed in the party or any move to replace Nawaz Sharif as prime minister was under study at the party level. To a question whether more resignations are in the pipeline on the scandalous report issue, he expressed his ignorance.

PPP senior leader Naveed Ch had said the resignation of Rashid is the beginning of the end of the government. He said things will not stay at resignation of one minister alone as the links of the matter go much beyond that. He predicted the issue will be heated up in the time to come and the government through follies is shooting in its own foot.