PML-N to boycott Gilani’s dinner for Turkish prime minister

PML-N leaders say party will set politics aside to attend parliamentary session, "Erdogan is our honoured guest".


Afp May 21, 2012

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) said Monday it would boycott a banquet being hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The party has said that the boycott is a protest against Gilani's conviction for contempt.

"No one (from the party) is going to the dinner, because we do not recognise him as prime minister," PML-N media coordinator Asim Niazi told AFP.

Erdogan flew into Islamabad on Sunday for a three-day official visit. He is due to address a joint session of parliament before the banquet later Monday.

Senior PML-N leaders said, however, that the party would set domestic politics aside to attend the parliamentary session, because "Erdogan is our honoured guest".

On April 26, Gilani became Pakistan's first sitting prime minister to be convicted in court, for refusing to ask the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Gilani had refused on the grounds that the head of state enjoys immunity.

The PML-N has demanded that Gilani resign, saying the conviction disqualifies him from office and has called for early elections, not due before February 2013.

The Swiss shelved the cases in 2008 when Zardari became president and a prosecutor in Switzerland has said it will be impossible to re-open them as long as he remains head of state. Gilani has vowed to appeal his conviction.

COMMENTS (44)

Anuj Agrawal | 11 years ago | Reply

@Hasham: I bet your politicians also have the capabilities but the problem is there is too much false propaganda on your side...that surely hampers democracy... In India, we have learned one thing. in general, until unless the growth is happening screw corruption, we believe corruption will automatically evaporise once people get educated... Also as a rule of hand, Indian politicians , how corrupt they may be or worst of enemies but when it comes to the Indian image outside, they all just unite up...This is one thing I have seen is very depressing on your side....Your politicians would start blaming each other even for the weirdest issues....and I also believe somewhere down the line educated Pakistani people are also to blamed...

Anuj Agrawal | 11 years ago | Reply

@mohammad ali jawaid yes that's true buddy ...you people have suffered enough ...I have seen people(Pakistani) abusing Gilani and Zardari over Internet.....but to me Gilani seems a man of credibility at least....He might be corrupt(Pakistanis better know)....at least while he's in power you people should support him....Besides Democracy is very important (whether corrupt or not)

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