Pakistani Senator charges Taliban with 'defaming Islam'

Islamabad, June 9 (ANI): A senator affiliated to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal ur has charged the Taliban with defaming Islam and questioned the government's handling of banned outfit leader Sufi Mohammed.

"What militants are doing is no service to Islam, rather their actions are bringing bad name to it," The Nation quoted Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb, as saying.

He also wanted to know how Taliban militants had entered Swat, an area far away from the international border. He also wondered how FM radio was allowed to operate in the area for two years.

Questioning the Sharia agreement between the NWFP government and Sufi Mohammed, he alleged that prior to the agreement, Muhammad had been released from jail without bail.

Participating in the debate, Senator Tahir Mashhadi of MQM had demanded the Pakistan Government to pursue political dialogue and developmental process to resolve problems confronting people in the Swat Valley.

Senator Ishaq Dar said the government should not hand over the area to the residents as the militancy might re-emerge because some miscreants might impersonate themselves as commoners.

He also demanded steps to ensure speedy justice in Swat, which was demanded by the dwellers, and allocations for infrastructure development.

He said the Punjab government had so far sent 366 trucks loaded with relief goods to alleviate sufferings of the IDPs.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira had assured the Upper House that all government employees sacked during the previous Pakistan People Party's regime would be reinstated. (ANI)