LONDON:
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani gave the impression on Saturday that he would go down fighting, but would not forgo his right to appeal at any cost.
“Come what may, I will protect the Constitution of Pakistan. I will go to the last limit and exhaust all my options and exercise my right to appeal,” Gilani told a large gathering of leaders and workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party in London.
“I am not one of those who will stab the party in the back and I believe that under Article 248 of the Constitution, the president of Pakistan has complete immunity and is not required to write any letter,” he said.
Expressing what he dubbed was his resolve to protect the country, the premier said: “We will reject any unconstitutional step in Pakistan.”
Gilani said the opposition wants him to resign on moral grounds, while it too has “hundreds of cases pending in the courts.”
He said there were a number of cases against the Sharifs involving the National Accountability Bureau and Mehran Bank, which had been pending for the past 20 years.
He questioned how PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif could take out rallies in support of the judiciary when he himself had cases pending against him. “Would it not embarrass the judiciary?”
His address was punctuated with loud slogans by party workers who pledged their ‘unconditional’ support. Gilani said certain quarters were trying in vain to tell the world that he was no longer the prime minister, adding that if that was the case, the United Kingdom would not have received him as one.
“We do not care if you do not accept me. The world acknowledges me, the Constitution recognises me, the people of Pakistan recognise me,” he said in an obvious retort to Nawaz.
Gilani denies Zawahiri presence
Elsewhere, in an interview with British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, Gilani stoutly denied US claims of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri being in Pakistan.
Gilani, who is currently in London to review the progress on the Pak-UK Strategic Dialogue Process, adamantly denied the presence of the al Qaeda kingpin in Pakistan, saying the United States had failed to provide any “actionable evidence” to suggest otherwise.
The premier added that America’s CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency were cooperating closely, saying: “They should work together, and if there is any credible, actionable information, share it with us so that we can catch him.”
When asked for his own view on Zawahiri’s whereabouts, Gilani questioned: “Why should I think he (Zawahiri) is in Pakistan?”
Replying to another question about Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed, the prime minister reiterated that there was insufficient evidence to warrant his arrest.
“(Even) if you arrest him, he will be released as more evidence is needed to convince the courts. You know the judiciary is completely independent in Pakistan.”
Answering a query about the threat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s popularity posed to the ruling party in the upcoming general elections, Gilani said: “In every election, there’s a perception created by the media that he (Imran Khan) will do better than before; but each time he doesn’t. We’ll beat them (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) hands down.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (16)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Prime Minister on the right side, president has complete constitutional immunity, so no need to write any letter to any authority concerned,
we should realized as a muslim that there is no immunity in Islam. all humans are equal in the eye of Islam. so either president r prime minister if they are convicted of an crime they should be punished.
It is wrong to say, Imran Khan would lost forthcoming general election, the fact is that people of Pakistan want change,there is no leader who talk about change or have manifesto which provide change in its nature,all are tested figures.
The change, being expected and attributed to PTI mean The Day of Judgment for all those who collected money hidden in and out and play with destiny of poor people of the country.
The day of judgment is a head,corrupt leader has begun blame game,and firing each others,but on the other hand,tremendous Sonami is making its way ,just approaching to them and drifting all those , committing crime of exploitation of poor people.
Answering a query about the threat Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s popularity posed to the ruling party in the upcoming general elections, Gilani said: “In every election, there’s a perception created by the media that he (Imran Khan) will do better than before; but each time he doesn’t. We’ll beat them (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) hands down.”
when did imran khan take part in elections:S:S:Show will media create perception??
A shameful statement by a shameless man. Did any of us expect better from this lowest of low Pakistanis? the punishment he is meting out to the nation is in a way deserved. We bought him to power, so in the final analysis we must blame ourselves.
Mr Gilani you and your family will remembered as most crook and corrupt family. You sold interests of the country. You are convicted because you are defending most corrupt president in history of Pakistan, You are not protecting the constitution. Infact you violate law of land every single day, It is all about protecting the money looted bt zardari. This money belongs to people of Pakistan and must be brought back. He did not hesitate to indulge in norcotic business. You will be kown as DON GILANI OF MULTAN DRUG CARTEL. You should be handed over US DRUG Enforcement Agency and put is jail for rest of your life along with your crook son Ali Musa Gilani.
Shameless "leadership" at its peak..
The PM must go down fighting and not surrender like the East Pakistan, Kargil. In the entire history of Pakistan, the "people" have always rejected the murders of their political leaders at the hands of generals and judges. The people have done the same the day PM was convicted and they would do that in the next elections. No wonder, Khosa was irritated and biased.
It is just a saying "Nero played the fiddle , while Rome burned." But, in Gilani's case everyone is sure that his ego and arrogance stops him from doing the right thing. Which is , to admit his conviction and step down.Good manners dictate so too.
The Constitution of Pakistan does not begin and end with protecting the President of Pakistan it also says that the welfare of the people of Pakistan is to be protected, why has the P.M. and his government forgotten this part of the Constitution.
The conviction verdict by the highest court of the country renders him guilty of the charges pressed by the same court which makes Mr Gilani's position untenable to continue as PM of the country despite his right to appeal against the conviction. Once pronounced guilty, he should have resigned as per norms prevailing all over the world and thereafter file his appeal against the conviction and if the same upheld by the honourable court, should have reinstated back with honour. His statement of acting as per constitutional norms has already been outrightly rejected by the court and repeating it again and again tantamounts to contempt of court's verdict for which the court can charge him separately for constitutional impropriety, which is just contrary to the claim made by him.
One thing is for sure, Court has closed all doors for him to come out as a political shaheed.
" we will reject any unconsitutional step in pakistan." said p.m.gilani. let us revive memory of 'great leader", as under:- i) general (later self f.m.) ayub khan - october 1958 martal law. ii) march 1969 - general yahya khan martial law - it was during his regime - december 1970, india defeated pakistan; surrender ceremoney held at dacca, by sigining document of 'defeat' by gen niazi, two nation theory wither away, in the dying sun - two nation was basic idea was basic ceation of pakistan. ii)july 1977, martial law declared by gen. zia, we saw endless 'darkness' until he was killed in midst of mansoon sky near bahawalpur. iv)october 1999, gen/later elected president musharaf took over in 'air' thrown elected p.m. in attock jail this is history, no one can deny - the simple question is why at above narrated 4 stages no one 'raised voice against theses' not even politicians, public, not even court of laws...............!
Rule of law is a bad dream in Pakistan.
Very well and impressive statement by convicted ex-PM Gillani and he is right because in today's (13/05/2012) Daily Urdu Express Multan edition PM Gillani said that there is no any law of contempt of court and the Supreme Court is teasing/testing only me.