Political wish list: Gilani turns down cabinet post for son
President offered Qadir Gilani a ministerial position.
ISLAMABAD:
Despite three-week long efforts to allay the Gilani family’s concerns, President Asif Ali Zardari has apparently failed to woo former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani with his offer to induct his son into the federal cabinet.
On November 17, Zardari flew to Multan to address the Gilani family’s grievances and offered Gilani’s son Abdul Qadir a ministerial slot. Gilani – who was forced to step down as prime minister earlier this year – “politely declined” the president’s offer.
A close aide to Gilani confirmed to The Express Tribune on Tuesday that the offer was made twice by President Zardari. The first came during a meeting at the Presidency and the second in Multan at the Gilani House.
The offer came earlier this month as the Gilani family came under pressure when Gilani’s son complained of receiving threatening notices from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with the Hajj scandal of 2010.
In his first meeting with Zardari at the President House, the former premier sought a couple of days to make a response but then chose to remain silent. The next week, President Zardari visited Multan where he formally requested Gilani to accept the offer of his son becoming a minister.
“Gilani Sahib politely declined the president’s offer,” said a close aide to Gilani, who is said to be dissatisfied with the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) top leadership over several issues particularly the nomination of Manzoor Wattoo as the party president in Punjab.
Since then, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf held two meetings with Gilani’s son and tried to convince him to accept the president’s offer.
Abdul Qadir met with Premier Ashraf during a recent National Assembly session and was conveyed the president’s wish. Prime Minister Ashraf reportedly told Abdul Qadir, “Convince your father for this fresh political move”. He also sent a goodwill message for his predecessor.
“I have checked and double checked the idea but it is not in any implementation stage. However, some say it was discussed during the recent visit,” read a text message received by The Express Tribune from the Prime Minister House in response to a query regarding the development.
Political analysts say that the tension between the Presidency and Gilani family indicates that both want to show their importance within the ranks of the PPP as well as in the Presidency.
Senior analyst Dr Ayesha Siddiqa observed the differences and said: “The tension between the Gilani family and Presidency is a process of course correction in their relations. Gilani wants the president to understand he is indispensable and the Presidency wants him to realise he is special but there have to be limits.”
Differences between Gilani and the PPP leadership are said to have developed over several party affairs from the day Supreme Court disqualified Gilani after he refused to write a letter to Swiss authorities against the president’s graft cases.
But these differences came to the forefront with an “unhappy” former premier speaking out against the PPP-led government for its inability to avert his son’s arrest and for “unceremoniously” changing bureaucrats appointed by him.
The president’s spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar was not available for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.
Despite three-week long efforts to allay the Gilani family’s concerns, President Asif Ali Zardari has apparently failed to woo former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani with his offer to induct his son into the federal cabinet.
On November 17, Zardari flew to Multan to address the Gilani family’s grievances and offered Gilani’s son Abdul Qadir a ministerial slot. Gilani – who was forced to step down as prime minister earlier this year – “politely declined” the president’s offer.
A close aide to Gilani confirmed to The Express Tribune on Tuesday that the offer was made twice by President Zardari. The first came during a meeting at the Presidency and the second in Multan at the Gilani House.
The offer came earlier this month as the Gilani family came under pressure when Gilani’s son complained of receiving threatening notices from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with the Hajj scandal of 2010.
In his first meeting with Zardari at the President House, the former premier sought a couple of days to make a response but then chose to remain silent. The next week, President Zardari visited Multan where he formally requested Gilani to accept the offer of his son becoming a minister.
“Gilani Sahib politely declined the president’s offer,” said a close aide to Gilani, who is said to be dissatisfied with the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) top leadership over several issues particularly the nomination of Manzoor Wattoo as the party president in Punjab.
Since then, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf held two meetings with Gilani’s son and tried to convince him to accept the president’s offer.
Abdul Qadir met with Premier Ashraf during a recent National Assembly session and was conveyed the president’s wish. Prime Minister Ashraf reportedly told Abdul Qadir, “Convince your father for this fresh political move”. He also sent a goodwill message for his predecessor.
“I have checked and double checked the idea but it is not in any implementation stage. However, some say it was discussed during the recent visit,” read a text message received by The Express Tribune from the Prime Minister House in response to a query regarding the development.
Political analysts say that the tension between the Presidency and Gilani family indicates that both want to show their importance within the ranks of the PPP as well as in the Presidency.
Senior analyst Dr Ayesha Siddiqa observed the differences and said: “The tension between the Gilani family and Presidency is a process of course correction in their relations. Gilani wants the president to understand he is indispensable and the Presidency wants him to realise he is special but there have to be limits.”
Differences between Gilani and the PPP leadership are said to have developed over several party affairs from the day Supreme Court disqualified Gilani after he refused to write a letter to Swiss authorities against the president’s graft cases.
But these differences came to the forefront with an “unhappy” former premier speaking out against the PPP-led government for its inability to avert his son’s arrest and for “unceremoniously” changing bureaucrats appointed by him.
The president’s spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar was not available for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.