‘Only a fool would come to Pakistan after government's threatening statements’

Rana Sanaullah says govt is afraid that something will emerge against it if Mansoor Ijaz brings his proofs. PHOTO: INP/ FILE

LAHORE: From defending its National Reconciliation Ordinance order to responding to criticism of its verdict on a by-elections freeze, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz appears to have become the Supreme Court’s most staunch supporter.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, speaking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, criticised the government for ‘scaring’ Memogate protagonist Mansoor Ijaz into not coming to Pakistan in order to thwart the case.

“After the sort of threatening statement the government made, only a fool will come to Pakistan to record his statements,” Sanaullah said. “The government has been making such comments because it knows that it will be implicated in the case if Ijaz comes to Pakistan with proof.”

Sanaullah also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza, who has called the SC’s by-poll freeze ‘against the Constitution’.

The law minister said that Mirza should step down as he was ‘over-age’ for the post and because he had failed to fulfil his responsibility and commitment before the SC that voters lists will be complete by December 2011.

“It is my humble suggestion to Mirza that he should resign as his age is taking the better of him,” Sanaullah said.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan is a department of the federal government and Mirza, as the departmental head, should not have made such an assertion against the SC. “The entire nation wants to know the cause of the delay in completion of voters lists. Mirza, instead of issuing that statement, should have held a press conference informing the people.”

Commenting on Asghar Khan’s petition before the SC, seeking punishment for political groups that have been funded by the Inter-Services Intelligence, Sanaullah said that the PML-N has a clear record and is not afraid of any verdict the court passes in the case.

“If he brings one hundred such applications in court, only one might eliminate the PML-N,” he said.

The PML-N, he said, only wants to know who was responsible for Memogate and about the talks that were held between the intelligence and army chiefs, the prime minister and the president when they demanded the resignation of former Pakistan envoy to the US Husain Haqqani’s.