Zardari, Bilawal condemn attack

Former President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the brutal attack on PPP South Punjab leader Shaukat Basra Monday morning in Haroonabad Bahawalnagar and called for the immediate arrest and punishment according to the law to the culprits involved.
Senior Party leader, former member Punjab Assembly and currently Secretary Information South Punjab Shaukat Basra was attacked as he planned to join the local people in their protest against police excesses and brutalities at the behest of some influential people of the area. Earlier Basra also held press conference in which he highlighted how police had become a pawn in the hands of political masters and demanded withdrawal of politically motivated cases against the innocent people.
Party activist and Basra's Secretary Imtiaz Ahmad who reportedly was hit in the head died on the spot while Shaukat Basra and his cousin Usman were injured and immediately rushed to the hospital. The Pakistan Peoples Party holds the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directly responsible for this gruesome attack and demands immediate arrest of the culprits involved and to bring them to justice, the former President said in a statement today.
On the face it seems that the remnants of Zia in South Punjab backed by the Gullo butts nurtured and sustained by the Punjab Chief Minister for advancing his political agenda are responsible for the attack, he said. If the murderers of Party activist Imtiaz Ahmad and those behind the pre-meditated attack are not arrested immediately the Party will hold CM Punjab responsible and proceed accordingly, the former President said in the statement.
Zardari also offered his heartfelt condolences to the family of martyred Imtiaz Ahmad and commiserated with the injured. Meanwhile, Vice President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Ms. Sherry Rehman has also strongly condemned murderous attack on PPP South Punjab leader Shaukat Basra. Sherry Rehman in a statement issued by PPP Media Office Islamabad termed this attack a terror activity and demanded immediate arrest of culprits. She said that enemies of the Party did not want Shaukat Basra to stand by the local people and protest against police excesses. Such incident cannot frighten PPP workers, she said.
PPP Senator Rubina Khalid also condemned attack on Shaukat Basra and demanded immediate arrest of culprits. PPP Lahore organised a protest outside the Lahore Press Club where the leadership condemned the attack, saying that the PML-N has lost the right to govern after a daylight attack on the leader of PPP.
Recorder Report adds from Karachi: Chairman of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack on Shaukat Basra, Information Secretary of PPP South Punjab. Shaukat Basra was injured while his personal secretary was killed in exchange of fire on Monday in Haroonabad, Punjab.
In a press statement on Monday, the PPP Chairman said that attacks on the PPP leaders in Punjab are 'open terrorism' and an attempt to frighten the party workers as PPP was gaining strength in Punjab. He said that PML-N and Zia remnants cannot go free of blame from this crime and termed Shaukat Basra as a warrior of people and democracy. Bilawal said PPP leaders and workers cannot be frighten through such attacks and demanded immediate arrest and punish to the criminals involved in the attack.