Munawwar Controversy: Nisar calls debate 'deadly poison'

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has given the government over the controversy sparked by an outburst of Jamaat e Islami chief Munawwar Hassan, and  said that the debate, who is martyr and who is not, is equal to deadly poison, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Without taking sides the Interior Minister in his statement tried to reconcile the contradictory views of the opposing sides in the name of the national interest.

Jamaat e Islami chief Munawwar Hassan in his statement had questioned the status of martyrdom of the Pakistan Army soldiers killed in fighting with the militants. The JI Ameer however called Hakeemullah Mehsud, Pakistani Taliban chief, a martyr who was killed in a US drone strike in Waziristan.

Tehreek Minhaj ul Quraan leader Allama Tahir ul Qadri has said the killers of innocent people could not be termed ‘martyrs’. Qadri was giving his openion over the controversy in ARY News talk show ‘Khara Sach’ hosted by prominent anchorperson Mubashir Lucman.

Sindh Assembly in a resolution has condemned the controversial statement of the JI chief.

Jamaat e Islami, a party with religious right leaning, has refused to bow down to the criticism, as the party chief has said he stands by his words. General Secretary JI Liaquat Baloch has urged the military to avoid issuing political statements and its interference in political matters.

The party has also decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister over the issue.