KARACHI: Condemning an attempt to amend a law pertaining to the finality of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the City Council on Wednesdayunanimously called for a probe to ascertain the person involved in what it described as a nefarious act and demanded maximum sentence if that individual did this with malicious intent.

The condemnation and demand came in a unanimously passed resolution proposed and seconded by all parties and every member of the City Council.

Jamaat-i-Islami`s Junaid Makati was the one who first proposed the resolution and his fellow party member Hanif Memon seconded it. However, Mayor Wasim Akhtar, who was chairing the Wednesday sitting,and all the members present in the house said that the resolution should be proposed by every council member.

It was not smooth sailing as JI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz members did not spare each other`s stalwarts from being involved in conspiracies and violence.

While moving the resolution, Mr Makati accused the PML-N government of meeting some elites of the Jewish community in Switzerland. `This conspiracy to amend this law was hatched in that meeting. The foreign masters of the government are not happy with this law. The AmericanPresident [Donald] Trump is one of them, claimed the JI councillor.

Ruling Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan`s Rahat Siddiqui said JI chief Sirajul Haq had also signed the amended law, which Mr Makati denied.

PML-N`s parliamentary leader Aman Afridi said no Muslim could deny the finality of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He said despite the fact that Zahid Hamid had resigned from the office of law minister, why was he being singled out? Punishment be given to everyone featuredintheissue,heobserved.

He condemned the JI members for politicising an issue which was part of the belief of every Muslim.

He blamed the JI for being involved in `destroying Karachi` by resorting to violence. He said the JI leaders involve d in the violence should also be punished accordingly.

`The Jamaat-i-Islami destroyed Karachi in the past and virtually [set] it on fire,` Mr Afridi claimed loudly and was cheered with resounding thumping by his own comrades and the MQM-P members who had a dominant majorityin the house.

He blamed former Karachi mayor Niamatullah Khan of the JI for inciting people to violence in the city following the death of a young student, Bushra Zaidi, in a traffic accident in April 1985. `That fire is smouldering till this day.

Mayor Akhtar intervened in a timely manner to cool tempers and prevent the proceedings from deteriorating further. `It is a very sensitive matter.

Please don`t make it a political issue, he said.

Sahib Khan Jiskani, deputy parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said the resolution be proposed and passed unanimously.

He said although all parties werepart of the committee that drafted the controversial election law, the law ministry should be held responsible for the blunder because it should have showed extreme care before sending it to the legislature.

MQM-P`s Shamim Khan and Quratulain Khan and members belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Awami National Party, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl also spoke.

The resolution said that the house condemned in strongest words the attempt to amend the Khatm-i-Nubuwat law. It should be investigated who was behind such a nefarious attempt, which hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslim.

It said the person responsible forsuch an act must be brought before the public so that the person could be punished in accordance with the law if found guilty of doing so with deliberate intentions.

The house offered fateha for the people killed in Islamabad violence.

20pc rent increase of KMC markets allowed The council also passed another resolution with a majority vote about a 20 per cent increase in the annual rents of shops, offices, stalls and warehouses located in the markets and shopping centres of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

Another resolution, also passed witha majority vote, was about the transfer of posts of officers and other staff from different departments of the KMC to the sections relating to e-communication and complaint system (ECCS), city wardens and the municipal utility tax department and their inclusion in the schedule of the establishment of those departments.

The council unanimously passed another resolution about allocation of the imprest account for the e-communication and coordinationsection.

Mayor visits Safari Park Mayor Akhtar said that the development works recently completed in the Safari Park would enhance the beautyand recreation facilities in the sprawling recreational site.

He said the park was badly neglected before the facelift spearheaded by the elected leadership.

`We have resolved to increase recreational facilities for the fun-starved citizens,` said the mayor while addressing as the chief guest at a programme held at the park on completion of development activities there. Mayor Akhtar said the renovation and restoration of parl(s managed by the KMC had begun and such iconic places would soon be opened as soon as their facelift got completed.

He said it was essential to increase the number of trees and plants in the city to deal with the rising air pollution.