LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar accepted on Tuesday Fayyazul Hassan Chohan’s resignation from his post as provincial information and culture minister over his anti-Hindu remarks.
The Punjab culture and information minister decided to tender his resignation, after apologising for his anti-Hindu remarks as he faced severe criticism from senior members of his party’s government and social media users.
Buzdar summoned Fayyazul Hassan Chohan at the Punjab CM House and asked him to tender his resignation. “The Punjab CM sought an explanation from Chohan regarding his anti-Hindu remarks.”
“There were complaints against Chohan earlier as well owing to which he was sent warnings,” the sources earlier said.
The Punjab information minister in his apology said, “I was addressing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian armed forces and their media not the Hindu community in Pakistan.”
“I apologise if my remarks hurt the Hindu community in Pakistan,” Chohan continued. “My remarks were in no way directed at Pakistan’s Hindu community.”
Chohan further said, “I will respond befittingly to whoever looks at my nation with a dirty eye. Every last drop of my blood is for my nation.”
The Punjab information minister had come under severe criticism from senior members of his party’s government and social media users with #SackFayazChohan trending on Twitter for his anti-Hindu remarks while addressing a gathering on February 24.
A video had gone viral of Chohan making the remarks while responding to Indian rhetoric in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.
Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan Naeemul Haque, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and several others had slammed Chohan over his remarks.
“Absolutely condemn this. No one has the right to attack anyone else’s religion. Our Hindu citizens have given sacrifices for their country,” Mazari tweeted. “Our PM’s msg is always of tolerance & respect & we cannot condone any form of bigotry or spread of religious hatred,” she added.
