ISLAMABAD:
Leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Thursday defended its move to seek a judicial probe into the memo scandal, rejecting allegations by the government that the party had undermined supremacy of parliament and authority of the executive.
“The memo scandal is a national issue and cannot be swept under the carpet,” PML-N spokesperson Senator Mushahidullah Khan told The Express Tribune, reacting to statements by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders that Nawaz Sharif was involved in conspiring against the federation.
“The [memo scandal] is not a personal issue,” Khan said, referring to the judicial probe.
Nawaz Sharif, who appeared before the nine-member bench of Supreme Court hearing the memo scandal did not level any allegation at the president, he added.
Recalling government’s response to parliamentary resolutions, Khan said the PML-N would not have gone to the court had these been effective in guaranteeing the sovereignty and security of the country.
Former Law Minister Babar Awan had warned Nawaz against what he termed were “dirty games, similar to the one that led to the disintegration of Pakistan in 1971”.
“The PPP is promoting prejudice and regionalism,” Khan said, adding that real federal political parties do not behave like this. “PPP’s rhetoric can no longer satisfy people of Pakistan across the board,” he said. While commenting on Awan’s views about SC’s decision, Khan said the former law minister never criticised Dogar court’s decisions but constantly censured the current judiciary.
Khan brushed aside PPP’s claim that the federation was not provided with an opportunity to submit its point of view in the court and said Attorney General had been there to represent the federation.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.
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Good move by Nawaz Sharif. Parliament is controlled by the government. Government is never going to impartially investigate itself. Secondly, the parliament does not have the constitutional authority to punish the offenders and send them to jail. The Supreme court is the correct forum.
I think that NS should have first gone to the PNSC and if it's finding was non conclusive then he should have registered an FIR and gone to a trail court. Nothing is going to come out of this supreme court investigation.It is going to be a useless exercise.It's like wasting the nations and courts time.