Buoyed by a pro-democracy resolution that was passed by a majority in the National Assembly on Monday, legislators thumped their desks throughout a rousing speech by the premier in the lower house.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said that the passage of the resolution was a historic move indicating the strength and unity of the nation’s democratic forces – but reasserted that it was not against any institution.
In fact, he asserted that none of the nation’s institutions wanted to derail the democratic system and the military establishment and judiciary fully supported the current democratic set-up — despite failing to garner the support of the opposition for a unanimous approval for the resolution.
The premier then praised both the military and the judiciary — a softening of his last hard-line approach.
“There can be a difference of opinion…but both the military and the judiciary are committed to supporting democracy,” a confident and composed Gilani said — choosing his words carefully.
“If I’m committed to the ideology of my party, it doesn’t mean that I am not committed to the Supreme Court,” he asserted.
The pro-democracy bill
The Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and parliamentarians from the tribal belt voted for the pro-democracy bill with a majority.
However, as soon as the prime minister started his speech, the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) staged an unannounced walkout after the rejection of the amendments proposed in the draft resolution tabled by ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan on Friday (January 13).
Negotiations commence
The demands of the PML-N which the government refused to incorporate in the resolution included welfare of common man, corruption-free services, implementation of previous resolutions and decisions of superior judiciary, elimination of gas and electricity shortage, controlling inflation and creating employment opportunities.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar and Khursheed Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) negotiated with the opposition for about two hours parallel to the proceedings of the house but an effective solution was not forthcoming.
The PML-N refused to withdraw two out of the three amendments it had proposed in the draft resolution.
Opposition does its job
“The government has jeopardised the entire system to cover up corruption of one person but we will never let them utilise this house for personal agenda,” leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.
Nisar censured the government for convening an “emergency session” of the National Assembly saying: “The opposition has pledged time and again that it will never support any undemocratic force to dislodge the government irrespective of the fact it has lost credibility.”
“I can say it for sure that there is no threat to the democratic system,” Nisar asserted.
“However, we will not waste a single minute to bring a vote of no confidence against the government if we get the required numerical strength,” warned Nisar while asking the allied partners of the PPP-led government to stop supporting the government in the larger interest of the country.
Meanwhile, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, chief of his own faction of the PML said: “Instead of this resolution, the government should hold fresh elections under the supervision of an independent election commission,” he added.
The NRO
Meanwhile, the premier brought up the origins of the NRO in his political rhetoric. He asked why the person who architected the NRO was being spared by the judiciary and those who did not seek any concessions being punished.
“It is not justice,” he said, referring to what some critics termed reluctance of the Supreme Court to take any action against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for issuing the notorious ordinance back in 2007.
“This house wants to know who was actually behind the NRO,” he said, giving a slight hint of what position he plans on adopting before the apex court.
(Read: A testing time)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2012.
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This is nothing but the Judiciary over riding the Executive. The President or Prime Minister of a sovereign democratic nation need not attend any courts. If Judiciary wants an explanation from or investigation on the above Executive Heads, it should send a questionnaire to the persons to submit the answers on oath. What about the judges who bent backwards and forwards during Musharraf’s rule and what action taken on them. I wonder which institutions of our unfortunate country have a long history of dishonesty, corruption, and for failing to keep oath on protection of the constitution. Do I need to list all the events from our chequered political history to support my claim? Do I need to mention the names of honorable judges whose malicious deeds ruined the entire country to support my argument? Do I need to mention the names of those honorable judges who took oath on PCO and granted dictator the right to amend Pakistan’s Constitution? A lot can be stated about the dark history of verdicts issued by Pakistan’s SC on this another dark day, but to no avail.
Well done democracy of Pakistan. Another landmark achievement in the history of Pakistan. Unfortunately, Pakistan was among those three countries of the world, which are ruled by military junta. But in year 2007, matchless sacrifice of Benazir Bhutto brought democracy in Pakistan and at this stage ruling coalition seems to be much mature than opposition parties. Ruling coalition is steadfast to safeguard democracy of Pakistan, it would be no wrong to say that ruling coalition has proved to be custodian of democracy. List of countries ruled by military junta is restricted to two. Congratulations to ruling coalition and all well wishers of democracy of Pakistan.
Why didnt the opposition sat there and voted against the resolution.....
Walkout is another way of supporting the govt..
He is saying this prior to appearing before the court so that when the court convicts him, he looks like the victim. He had plenty of chances to act on SC orders but he deliberately tried to create a clash of institutions and now he wants to looke like a martyr. Does he think we are stupid?