ISLAMABAD -Calling for transparent inquiry into the incident of firing on
PTI’s long march, Minister for
Defence Khwaja Muhammad
Asif has remarked that there should not be baseless allega tions against prime minister, interior minister
and others. “Baseless allegations for political
gains should be avoided,”
said Kh Asif while speaking on a point of order in
Friday’s National Assembly proceedings. “A joint
investigation team (JIT)
should be formed in order to ensure transparent investigation to arrest
the culprits involved in
the attack,” said the minister, adding the video of
the suspect shows that religious fanaticism motivated the attack. The minister said, “Imran came
close to crossing boundaries...or he crossed red
lines of religion boundaries,” he said, linking it
to the attack on him. Asif
termed the incident as a
cause of embarrassment
for the nation. “If there is
a conspiracy behind it, it
should be brought to the
fore,” he said, adding that
investigation into the incident should not be politicized. About the suspension of a whole police
station, he said all the
staffs have been suspended over the video leaked
in which the suspect
made confessional statement. He said, “The entire nation is looking towards us… We are letting
this incident fall victim
to politics.” A PTI dissident/chairman PAC Noor
Alam Khan said it is highly regrettable that workers of a political party
are involved in running
a defamatory campaign
against officers of state
institutions. Shazia Marri, on point of order, said
there should be no violence in protest demonstrations. She said the firing incident should be
thoroughly probed. At the
outset of the proceedings,
a newly elected MNA from
PML-N Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti
took oath as MNA.