ISLAMABAD:
In Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s darkest hour, he can at least count on his coalition partners.
Top leaders from all coalition parties on Monday expressed solidarity
with the prime minister at a meeting in the Prime Minister House hours after he was indicted in a contempt case by the apex court. The indictment could result in his disqualification from office.
The meeting was attended by heads of allied parties, key federal ministers and PPP parliamentarians. Sources said a strong word of support came from ANP, MQM, FATA lawmakers. PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, MQM’s Farooq Sattar, ANP’s Asfandyar Wali and FATA parliamentarians’ representative Munir Orakzai, and a number of ministers were in attendance.
Coalition reactions
Asfandyar said, “There are no ifs and buts in politics and we will support our prime minister [in all circumstances]”.
Chaudhry Shujaat reposed confidence in the premier, saying “Gilani is a seasoned politician and he knows how to deal with [situations] like the one he is facing right now.” He added, “We are standing by Gilani firmly, as we stood by him in the court.”
Opposition reaction
The opposition, however, was not interested in providing a vote of confidence to the troubled premier. PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said that in case of the prime minister’s disqualification, his party would not give a vote of confidence to anyone else nominated for premiership by the PPP.
He did add, however, that indictment was not tantamount to being found guilty and suggested that the prime minister immediately write a letter to the Swiss courts.
Politician and analyst Ayaz Amir said that according to the law, a person who has been charge-sheeted by a court of law has time to prepare his or her defence, adding that at this very point, nobody should be in a hurry to determine what the verdict will be.
Information minister speaks
Prior to the meeting, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said the government was confident that the apex court would be just.
“We have come to the Supreme Court in compliance with its orders and for the supremacy of the Constitution,” she added.
She, however, ruled out the possibility of the government writing a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening graft cases against President Asif Zardari who, according to her, enjoys blanket immunity under the Constitution of the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2012.
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Democracy returned to Pakistan after nine years of military rule in 2008. Ever since that day, moves have been afoot to destabilise the democratically elected government by hook or by crook. From spreading negative information in the media about the government to judicial activism, no stone remained unturned in ousting this government. So far, the government is sitting tight. Taking on two of the most powerful institutions — the army and the judiciary — takes some guts, which is what the government is trying to do these days. It is good to see the government taking parliament on board in favour of democracy through a resolution to this effect. What remains to be seen is whether this pledge will translate into anything meaningful given that the knives are out against the government, be it in the opposition circles or within the state institutions. Whatever the outcome, the most affected would be the people of Pakistan.
@ARkhan: You seriously need to refer to dictionary to know the difference between 'indictment' and 'convicttion'.
shame...whome they are sopporting...a convicted???