Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah. PHOTO: AFP
The Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) renewed a pledge to support the government over the treason indictment of ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf. “We stand by you, Prime Minister Sharif,” said Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah.
Speaking to reporters at the National Press Club on Friday, Shah said the government should also pursue a case against Musharraf for staging a military coup in 1999. “To try Musharraf only for abrogating the Constitution on November 3, 2007, is not enough,” Shah said. “This will ultimately allow the former military chief a safe exit.”
Shah said the PML-N government is ‘obligated’ to also put Musharraf’s ‘cronies’ on trial, regardless of whether they are now civilians or still serving the army. He added that the PPP had never accepted legislation that provided legal cover to any former military dictator in the past.
The PPP leadership has never accepted the 17th constitutional amendment, according to him. “We are ready to assist the government if it wants to bring amendments to the existing laws to conduct a trial against the unlawful military coup in 1999,” Shah said. The opposition leader said there is no justification for the government or any institution to protect Musharraf, who was plotting his exit from the country.
Shortly after, PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan said the issue lay within the court’s jurisdiction. “Our legal team will assist the courts to ensure a fair trial,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2014.
COMMENTS (8)
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First Mr. Shah must declare and discuss about his accounts at Harbor Financial. Cayman Islands
@Nikki:
Sane and wise persons are not commone,they are very rare in all regimes.
PPP's policy is divide and rule.They could not tried Musharraf but they forced PML-N and now watching live drama.
Khursheed shah should be tried for inciting the coup since his present statement clearly indicate that the Pskistani army can be easily motavated for a coup .
Khurshid Shah should be charged for stealing electricity while he was a Federal Minister. The sorry state of affairs is such that people like him have the audacity to talk about morals. May Allah have mercy on all of us.
I second it. But it seems like Nawaz Sharif will chicken out. And the "Independent" judges are only tigers when it comes to the persecution of the civilians.
Mr. Shah,
Your party is the beneficiary of the NRO issued by Musharraf and you have the guts to speak against him. Also, Bilawal behaves like the kid he is.
Yes, trial shoud have been initiated from October 1999. This is the reason the Commission's set up and trial from 2007 has been considered unfair, and partial.Wondering, no sane person available in the present setup or they are creating mess deliberately?