ISLAMABAD:
With one eye firmly fixed on next month’s Senate elections, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s leadership has decided to contest Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s contempt case in the Supreme Court – and not seek any sort of confrontation with the judiciary.
After the court summoned the PM on February 13, the government’s current go-to man in legal matters, Aitzaz Ahsan, is likely to file an appeal in a few days.
Sources in the PPP said that the party high command has advised its cadres not to resort to public rhetorical attacks against the assertive judiciary.
Rather, the PPP will fight its case in court with all its might, arguing that President Asif Ali Zardari enjoys immunity under the Constitution against all criminal proceedings inside and outside the country.
Most of the party’s leaders remained tight-lipped when approached to comment on Thursday’s court proceedings. However, during informal interactions, the majority said that the government was being squeezed by the judiciary.
“We have a right to go for a review, as has been mentioned by the counsel of the PM,” the PPP leader said. “One should not forget that after the 18th Amendment that right of a fair trial has been recognised as basic right of every citizen under clause 10A of the Constitution.”
The PPP leader was not sure if the government would comply with the court and write a letter to the Swiss authorities, but said that, if it ever happened, it would be the last option, as the party will not give up easily.
Their focus also seems to be the Senate elections.
“Right now we have next month’s Senate elections as a top priority. We want to secure our majority in the upper house first. The legal team has also been asked to chalk out a strategy accordingly,” a central leader from the PPP said.
The elections for 54 Senate seats are due to take place on March 2. The PPP, with its current strength in provincial legislatures, is confident about securing the maximum seats to make it the single largest party in the house.
There were some unconfirmed reports that, after the court’s decision, Aitzaz gave a briefing to leaders of the allied parties on the implications of the order. However, the PM’s spokesperson denied this.
The allies of the ruling party have been sitting on the fence when it comes to the issue of the court order on implementation of the NRO verdict. Some have even suggested that the government should not confront the court and write the letter to defuse the situation.
The PPP core, however, feels that this would be political suicide.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (9)
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The Supreme Court got a "mole in it's mouth", to spit or swallow is the question. I agree with most all comments that are for pro-democracy here. PPP's fault is it didn't realize the revolution taken place in the current conscience of the courts ofcourse under the leadership of Hon. Ch. Iftekhar Muhammad and stayed on it's past carefree & negligent habits. One can conclude that current environment is the direct result of the "lack of ruthlessness" for power showed by Mush, which has got a following now. I hope it's better for future of democracy and not for the anti-democracy forces in Pakistan. To Bajwa, Mirza, Hameed, John and Maryam: Bravo!
@A.Bajwa. The court probably knows about the immunity. But now it has been reduced to a question of the SC's prestige. They have issued an order. Good or Bad. They want it implemented. If one starts questioning all bad decisions of Pakistani Courts then, keeping in view the quality of judges in place, the system will collapse.
Big blow by PTI. Weldone.
Why claim an immunity, even if it is there, if there is no blood on your hands, Mr president.
The president should dissolve the parliament, execute his constitutional privilege and give blanket amnesty to the cabinet, and seek a new mandate from the people, throw himself at the mercy of the new government for the sake of Pakistan
Or PM should stick his neck out assert executive privilege and challenge the constitutionality of the court order itself.
Putting executive office under the mercy of judiciary is not the real form of democracy.
PM is answerable only to the parliament in his executive decisions and not to the courts.
President should give presidential pardon to the PM and quash this case the same way as Mansoor Ijaz has done to Memogate. That should take care of all the activism of PCO judges. The foreign double agent Mansoor tricked the SC and army by stirring the pot and then put lot of egg on their faces and never showed his own face. After this case is over there would be no ammunition left for the PCO judges against the elected govt.
The Court does't seem to respect immunity enjoyed by the President.That is puzzling.The Swiss Court thinks he has the immunity.
In November 2009 the Supreme Court verdict threw the NRO out as 'void ab initio.' That was enough of a judgement to get on with life and respect the law.
The PPP government has dawdled and made glib talk over it. Precious time has been lost and it is better if the PPP, PML N and Q come out of their "suspended sensibility and animation."
Pakistan is crying for change. Wake up politicians. Your country has reached the age of sixty-five and you are still living in the 18th century. "Change is inevitable, do not resist it." Salams