Elections likely to be delayed: Pagara

Gilani says if the court keeps dismissing PMs, election won’t be held.

LAHORE:

Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Pir Pagara predicted on Sunday that if the situation of the country remains the same he does not see general elections being held anytime soon.

In a joint press conference with former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Pir Pagara Raja Saeen urged the government to end the deadlock between them and the courts, saying that if the current condition prevailed the elections were unlikely to be held.

Endorsing Pir Pagara’s views, Gilani said that if the apex court continued to dismiss prime ministers there might not be any elections in the country. He added that if the opposition continued to blindly follow all the court orders, it will lead to further deterioration of the situation.

Answering a question as to whether the government plans on writing the Swiss letter, Gilani replied that everyone had to follow the Constitution and the Pakistan Peoples Party was doing just that. “The president has complete immunity and article 248 bars the party from writing the letter”.

Lashing out at the current government Pir Pagara vowed that his party will never form an alliance with the Zardari government and he would soon review the current alliance formed by his late father.

He added that the law and order situation in Karachi was getting worse by the day as incompetent people are being posted on higher posts in the government.

Pir Pagara also commented that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, is on its way to woo back the parties which worked with him during 1985 and their talks with the PML-N were already under way.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2012.