Hindu law-makers walkout from Pak national assembly to protest links with terror slur - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Hindu legislators staged a walkout from Pakistan's National Assembly in protest against remarks made by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif. Sharif had reportedly stated that terrorists were getting financial help from Hindus. The lawmakers also demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry take a suo motu notice of Sharif's remarks, The Nation reports. However, Minister for Labour and Manpower Khursheed Shah said that it might be a case of a slip of the tongue as "we respect all the communities living in Pakistan." PPP lawmaker Ramesh Lal raised the point by saying that the Hindu community in Pakistan was as patriotic as anyone else in the country, and the published remarks were highly uncalled for. He added that the remarks hurt the sentiments of over three million Hindus in Pakistan. Lal announced his walkout and was joined by some other Hindu members of different parties, including the Awami National Party. Labour Minister Khursheed Shah apologised to the Hindu community on behalf of the government. Later, Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and some other MNAs convinced the protesting members to return. PPP's Mir Munawar Ahmed Talpur said that Sharif's statement against the Hindu community seemed to have been issued deliberately and should not be defended.