ISLAMABAD             -          A treasury lawmaker on Tuesday in the Senate objected to the unconfirmed remarks, doing the rounds on social media, of a top military commander in Balochistan about the recent protests led by Haq Do Tehreek in Gwadar, the port city of Balochistan. Speaking on a point of public concern, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza said that protest was the right of everyone and the demands of people of Gwadar were neither unconstitutional nor illegal. Earlier this month, some unconfirmed social media reports had attributed a statement to Commander of XII Corps Lt Gen Asif Ghafoor that anyone who protested in Gwadar would be put behind the bars. Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Senator Murtaza further said that he was appalled by the remarks of an officer, who heads the security issues in Balochistan, when he reportedly said that anyone who resorted to protest in the port city would be sent to jail. “Is Gwadar some occupied territory?” he questioned. The lawmaker said that the officer had no right to talk in such a manner and threaten the people to send them in jail. “We reject such behavior and threats,” he said without naming anyone. However, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Danesh Kumar opposed the remarks of the treasury lawmaker and said that he was astonished that some unauthentic social media reports were being discussed in the house. He said that Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, a day earlier, had also raised his concerns over such unverified statement. He questioned why the Pakistan Army was being dragged into such matters unnecessarily when the institution itself was saying that it wanted to remain apolitical. “We should talk in the house over some confirmed statements or incidents,” he said. Senator Ahmad on a point of personal explanation said that the corps commander should give an explanation about the remarks attributed to him. “If he clarifies, then I will withdraw my statement, “he said and warned that any member of the house should not become spokesperson of a military officer. He also said that the demands of the people of Gwadar were genuine and Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, the leader of the Haq Do Tehreek, was the voice of the poor people of Balochistan. Senator Murtaza also got the floor on a point of personal explanation and said that the statement attributed to the military commander was widely reported and he should have contradicted it if the same was untrue. I would apologize if the commander contradicted it, he added. Earlier, Senator Naseebullah Bazai, opening the debate on the issue, said that Maulana Hidayatur Rehman was using the people of Gwadar for his vested interests.