Firm stand: I’d rather be jailed than write Swiss letter, says PM

Prime minister tells students ‘it is better to face six-month jail for contempt than death sentence for treason’.


Kashif Zafar March 15, 2012

BAHAWALPUR:


If there was any doubt over whether the prime minister would finally cave and write a letter to Swiss authorities, as being demanded by the Supreme Court, it was put to rest on Thursday.


Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that he would rather go to jail than obey a court order to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

“If I write a letter it will be a violation of the Constitution, which is treason and which carries the death sentence,” the premier told PhD students at the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) convocation.

“If I don’t write, I will be convicted for contempt, the punishment for which is six months’ imprisonment,” Prime Minister Gilani said, with a few in the audience shouting “do not write, do not write”.

“It’s better to face six months’ imprisonment than face the death sentence.”

For the first time, ostensibly to remove ambiguities and possible technicalities, the Supreme Court last week directly ordered the premier to write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen corruption cases against President Zardari by March 21.

There was a little showmanship by the premier too: He asked the crowd of students whether he should write the letter, to which the audience shouted: “No, no.”

“Ok, we will send your message to the court and tell them that they should charge Parliament with contempt of court because Parliament has given immunity to the president. All heads of state all over the world have this immunity,” he said, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, the prime minister reiterated the same stance while addressing another public gathering at a railway ground in Mailsi, Vehari district.

Writing a letter to Swiss courts against the president will make me the traitor, he said.

The premier added that he is not afraid of prisons as he had been “forcefully” jailed many times for “merely giving jobs to people”.

Bahawalpur province

At the convocation, the prime minister expressed his support for a province in south Punjab – but added that passing a bill for a Bahawalpur or Seraiki province in the Punjab Assembly was under the prevailing conditions not an easy task. However, he vowed to continue his fight for the cause.

He added that he would not favour the 1935 Act of the British government to make Bahawalpur an administrative unit.

Earlier, supporters of the Bahawalpur province staged a protest on the arrival of the prime minister in the city, against his supposed preference for a Seraiki province over Bahawalpur. Carrying black flags, the protesters even burned an effigy of the prime minister.

Meanwhile, in Mailsi, the prime minister spoke about the Seraiki province and said that those opposing it in Lahore must realise the grievances of the people.

Democracy

Speaking at the convocation, the prime minister said it was because of the Pakistan Peoples Party government’s friendly and sincere policies that it will be presenting the fifth budget, and, for the first time in history, a president will address a joint session of Parliament for a fifth consecutive time. He was of the view that assemblies should be given fair chance to complete their due period.

Convocation

The premier congratulated medalists and degree holders of the IUB and advised them to utilise their education for the betterment of the country and society.

He announced that IT centres would be set-up all over the country to provide opportunities and reduce unemployment.

The prime minister also announced a grant of Rs20 million for the Bio-Technology Centre in IUB.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP AND ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OWAIS JAFRI IN MAILSI)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2012.

COMMENTS (28)

Faraz | 11 years ago | Reply

“He appealed to the court to refer the matter to Parliament, as was done in the case of the 18th Amendment, or let the citizens of the state decide.” This PCO SC judges have no regard to people’s verdict. They have not taken oath under 1973 constitution but Mush’s PCO after justifying his takeover. Why should they wait and let the people of the country decide? They have the “moral authority” over the voters and civilians of the country. The ignominious history of this court starts with Justice Munir to hanging ZAB and justifying each and every military takeover. When according to the SC even our head of the state can be tried then they can easily and happily prosecute the generals. Great news for US, India and other European countries and Bangladesh can try Pakistani head of the state in their lowest courts for any crimes including but not limited to protecting terrorists. Great tradition initiated by the PCO SC.

User | 12 years ago | Reply @wisk: . So is the case here .
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