LONDON:
Article 58-2b, which allowed a president to dissolved the assemblies, is no longer part of the Constitution – and hence, he can’t hand this power to the court, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday.
The premier’s statements, made while talking to journalists in London, hinted heavily at a fighting mood.
The prime minister added that Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan want to become prime ministers without becoming MNAs.
Later, speaking to parliamentarians at the British House of Commons, he said that he had come to Britain on the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron to further the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) that started between the two countries last year.
The prime minister added that the two governments have jointly decided to enhance bilateral trade and investment, which aims to take trade to 2.5 billion pounds by 2015.
He appreciated that the UK played an important role in the promotion of Pakistani trade with European Union.
Referring to terrorism and regional ties, PM Gilani said Pakistan was committed in eliminating terrorism and in enhancing its ties with its neighbours, particularly Afghanistan and India. He reiterated that solutions to the problems of Afghanistan will have to come from within Afghanistan itself. Referring to India, he said Pakistan was making an utmost effort to resolve all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The prime minister concluded by referring to Pakistan’s development as a democratic state, recalling the dictatorship of Ziaul Haq. He said that Pakistan’s commonwealth membership had been cancelled during the dictator’s regime, and was restored during the PPP’s tenure. He added that the country was free of political prisoners and had a completely free media and judiciary.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (17)
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"He added that the country was free of political prisoners and had a completely free media and judiciary."
And he should have added that convicts were free too. Job done then, it might be time to go home.
Mufahamat zindabad, pir sahib! Time to give someone else a chance to make a buck or two.
ZAB was not just a convict but a convicted murderer. However, the SC judges who convicted him and the general are dead in the history and ZAB still ruling the country and the hearts of millions.
This visit had two main purposes from C(convicted)PM:
Live it up on tax payer dime one last time. In your face rule of law/principle/judiciaryThe way things are going it seems that these bunch of crooks have been placed in the corridor of power to speed up the destabilizing of the country and these rascals are doing to the best of their ability and they are getting a pat on there backs by the Washington bosses. Otherwise no matter how callous a government may be , it will never pay a deaf ear to the weeping pleas of the public.We are already getting the worse in load shedding from the electric power companies and as if it was not enough for a poor man, the PTCL too has started following the footsteps of WAPDA and started the load shedding in the telecommunication sector as well.I request the arms forces to intervene and save whatever is left or else the nation will not forgive them.
The media here isn't covering his tour....
I appeal to Pakistani media not to provide coverage to his UK visit.
This man has lost all credibility on international circuit with his repeated statements about doing so much as to doing nothing ! its become like old recordplaying same tune again ! What a waste of taxpayers money, by travelling abroad, when he can not even deal with crises at home !
Shame Shame Shame Shame
this shows that international community considers him a,victim of political judicialism Gilani has strength of chracter ,to accept injustice is unislamic ,Evey one knows why inspire of millions of cases pending , a 15 year case is getting all the attention in a court that was supposed to be pprovide justice to ordinary people
Mr. convicted ex-PM Gillani instead of creating confrontation with Supreme Court and the opposition parties you have resign yourself and must appoint new PM instead of getting immunity for yourself because president Zardari is good enough to get immunity.
Leaving no stone unturned to disgrace this nation.
PM: "I can't even afford a car."
Later, speaking to parliamentarians at the British House of Commons, he said that he had come to Britain on the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron to further the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) that started between the two countries last year. . Does our PM know the defintion of Strategy,wasting the money of taxpayer. This shameless tour has costed 80 to 100 million.
Shameless
"recalling the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq",thats obvious thing that he was a messiah when i was in his cabinet "
This man should have some shame. He is ridiculing judiciary on a foriegn land while poofing off taxpayers money on a useless entourage who have nothing to do but to enjoy any carry out shopping on public excheaquer.
shame shame !