PM alive to palace intrigue
Gilani cancels scheduled trip to Europe in a move to keep a close eye on the unfolding political situation.
ISLAMABAD:
Amid apparent intrigue against his rule, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has cancelled a scheduled trip to the European capital in a move to keep a close eye on the unfolding political situation.
Gilani was to attend the Asia-Europe summit, as well as a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan scheduled for October in Brussels, the Belgian and European capital, officials said on Friday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will now lead the Pakistan delegation instead.
The Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the cancellation but said that the PM had taken the decision in view of his preoccupations with the post-flood situation.
However, sources claim the development has more to do with the ‘fragile’ political situation in the country.
For the last few days, the country is in the grip of widespread speculation of change at the top.
Sensing the impending threat, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had a series of high-level meetings this week to dismiss rumours that its two and half year rule was on the way out.
The cancelation of the trip is also being linked to the developments taking place in the Supreme Court, which ordered the Gilani administration to implement its verdict against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
On Friday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that Gilani should know the consequences of non-implementing the court orders.
Legal and constitutional experts are of the opinion that the Supreme Court can issue contempt of court notice to the PM if his government remains adamant on the issue of reviving Swiss cases against President Zardari.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.
Defending politicians, he said they had always been belittled on one pretext of the other. “It has become a common practice to level accusations against politicians without any proof.”
“Approach the courts if there is any complaint against us. We have faced the courts in the past and are ready even now,” Gilani said.
Referring to the issue of promotions of senior bureaucrats, the prime minister said that the Supreme Court’s verdict has been implemented in letter and spirit.
He said there were no rules regarding promotion of government officers from BPS-21 to BPS-22 and it was the discretion of the chief executive of the country to promote them.
However, he said, he had asked the Establishment Division to frame rules for their promotion on the direction of the Supreme Court and that he had implemented all recommendations made by the selection board for their promotions.
In a bid to defend the elevation of Kamran Lashari as the chief secretary of Sindh, Gilani said: “It is our duty to defend bureaucracy. I have constituted a committee to provide him an opportunity to submit his point of view. He is a senior bureaucrat. How can he go unheard?”
On Dr Aafia’s conviction, the prime minister said that the government is making serious efforts for her release and return to Pakistan.
“I have asked the interior minister to find a way, including an agreement (if possible) with the US government for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui,” Gilani said though he warned that the government did not want to create new legal issues.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.
Amid apparent intrigue against his rule, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has cancelled a scheduled trip to the European capital in a move to keep a close eye on the unfolding political situation.
Gilani was to attend the Asia-Europe summit, as well as a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan scheduled for October in Brussels, the Belgian and European capital, officials said on Friday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will now lead the Pakistan delegation instead.
The Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the cancellation but said that the PM had taken the decision in view of his preoccupations with the post-flood situation.
However, sources claim the development has more to do with the ‘fragile’ political situation in the country.
For the last few days, the country is in the grip of widespread speculation of change at the top.
Sensing the impending threat, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had a series of high-level meetings this week to dismiss rumours that its two and half year rule was on the way out.
The cancelation of the trip is also being linked to the developments taking place in the Supreme Court, which ordered the Gilani administration to implement its verdict against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
On Friday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that Gilani should know the consequences of non-implementing the court orders.
Legal and constitutional experts are of the opinion that the Supreme Court can issue contempt of court notice to the PM if his government remains adamant on the issue of reviving Swiss cases against President Zardari.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.
Defending politicians, he said they had always been belittled on one pretext of the other. “It has become a common practice to level accusations against politicians without any proof.”
“Approach the courts if there is any complaint against us. We have faced the courts in the past and are ready even now,” Gilani said.
Referring to the issue of promotions of senior bureaucrats, the prime minister said that the Supreme Court’s verdict has been implemented in letter and spirit.
He said there were no rules regarding promotion of government officers from BPS-21 to BPS-22 and it was the discretion of the chief executive of the country to promote them.
However, he said, he had asked the Establishment Division to frame rules for their promotion on the direction of the Supreme Court and that he had implemented all recommendations made by the selection board for their promotions.
In a bid to defend the elevation of Kamran Lashari as the chief secretary of Sindh, Gilani said: “It is our duty to defend bureaucracy. I have constituted a committee to provide him an opportunity to submit his point of view. He is a senior bureaucrat. How can he go unheard?”
On Dr Aafia’s conviction, the prime minister said that the government is making serious efforts for her release and return to Pakistan.
“I have asked the interior minister to find a way, including an agreement (if possible) with the US government for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui,” Gilani said though he warned that the government did not want to create new legal issues.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.