‘Political turmoil staged to bring caretaker govt’

Lawyer moves high court, claims caretaker govt will launch N Warizistan operation.

KARACHI: The political turmoil in the country is part of well-thoughtout plan to install a caretaker government for taking tough decisions, including a military operation in North Waziristan at the behest of foreign powers and donor agencies, submitted a lawyer moving the Sindh High Court to restrain the president from installing a caretaker government.

In a constitutional petition filed on Monday, the petitioner Sohail Hameed said that no political government, even a coalition of many parties like the present government, could take an unpopular decision like an operation in North Waziristan. The operation would lead to more terrorism and increased drone attacks across the country, he stated. The International Monetary Fund is also part of the plan aiming to install a caretaker government in Pakistan so that its diktat is enforced, forcing the state to compromise its national interests, the petitioner submitted.

Referring to Article 2-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, Hameed said that the state and the will of the people is to be represented through elected representatives and a caretaker government would never represent the people’s will.

He asked the court to direct the president not to install a caretaker government if the incumbent government of Prime Minister Gilani resigns. The petition is likely to be heard after the court’s winter vacation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2011.