PoK PM faces calls to resign over his anti-Pakistan' comments
His statement sparked widespread reaction from several political parties.
A resolution in Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly was on Monday introduced against Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, demanding his resignation for making anti-Pakistan remarks.
On disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case last week, Mr Haider had said: “We — the people of Kashmir (PoK) — have to think now to which country we should make annexation to.”
His statement sparked widespread reaction from several political parties. The resolution, introduced by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party legislator Khurram Wattoo, said the statement of Mr Haider has hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and PoK.
Clarifying his statement, Mr Haider later said: “My statement was distorted as I did not mean to say that I would consider annexation to any other country.
“It is painful. Pakistan is my country, I have every right to be concerned and express my reservations,” he was quoted as saying by Geo TV.
Mr Haider also requested the media and other parties “not to drag Kashmir in their personal wars”. “The entire Pakistan is Kashmir and all of Kashmir is Pakistan,” he remarked.
Mr Haider also lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. Addressing the media, he said he does not believe in Mr Khan’s Pakistan and dared the PTI chief to hold demonstrations against him in PoK.
“I will not tolerate any insult. I don’t believe in Imran Khan’s Pakistan. I believe in Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan. What are you going to do about it?” he raged, adding he does not want to be a part of the political tug-of-war under way in Pakistan.
Speaking about Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification, Mr Haider questioned what would happen if Mr Khan were also to be disqualified.