Toronto airport incident to dent goodwill: Qureshi

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf leader, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Saturday said that Canadian immigration authorities’ mistreatment of party chief, Imran Khan, at Toronto airport was highly deplorable, Geo News reported.

“Deplaning and interrogating national leaders of a country that US calls its ally will weigh down on the fencemending both the nations are struggling with these days”, Qureshi said.

Qureshi was talking to media here after offering Eid prayer at the shrine of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakaria (RA), his great grand ancestor as well as one of the greatest spiritual figures in Subcontinent.

“Everyone has the right to speak his/her mind, this is democracy”, Qureshi said.

He said "to differ is democratic" and what Imran Khan was subjected to in Canada was undemocratic.

“There are millions in US who disagree with the government’s policies. Will they be deported too? There are many Americans who find fault with the US administrations for unrestrained drone attacks. The US does not close its doors on them, why Imran Khan?”, Qureshi added.

To a question he said that Asghar Khan case judgment was evidence based, thus it must be actioned.

“Even Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has dropped its objections to FIA probe as well as the demand for an independent commission”, the PTI leader said.

To another question, he said, Iftikhar Hussain Gilani’s defecting makes no difference to PTI