Gilani puts up stout defence of Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the fate of NRO-tainted officials and ministers will be decided by courts.
Talking to reporters after addressing an interfaith Christmas dinner here on Friday, the prime minister defended President Asif Ali Zardari in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s judgment against the National Reconciliation Ordinance.
“It will be tantamount to double jeopardy to ask him to resign on the grounds of cases for which he has already undergone 12 years’ imprisonment.”
The prime minister said he had also been sentenced to five-year imprisonment in a case prepared by the National Accountability Bureau for giving jobs to people and had served almost a life-term in jail, but he had never complained against the perpetrators.
He wondered why the names of former president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz were not being mentioned, although they had authored the NRO and failed to prove any case despite spending Rs4 billion on investigations.
The prime minister said the PPP and PML-N had reached a consensus in 2006, during negotiations over the Charter of Democracy, that all past cases were politically motivated. The understanding found a mention in the charter, he recalled.
He said only five per cent of the people accused by NAB had gone to jail and 95 per cent had joined the government.
In reply to a question regarding his plan to disband the bureau and set up an accountability commission, he said: “I have sent the draft of the proposed accountability law to Mian Nawaz Sharif for his input so that it can be approved by parliament at the earliest.
“We did not defend the NRO in the court because we knew its fallout and are in the process of sorting out the matter.”
When asked about reopening of the Swiss case, he said the Swiss government had put the onus on the Pakistan government to first initiate the case here.
The prime minister denied any rift between himself and the president over a cabinet reshuffle. “It is my prerogative to constitute the cabinet, while Mr Zardari runs the party. Hence there is no question of any differences.”
Prime Minister Gilani played down a controversy over denial of visas to Americans. “Visas in genuine cases will be issued soon.”
Mr Gilani said there were two types of visas in question, those related to armed forces and diplomatic ones, which would be granted after usual scrutiny.
In reply to a question about reports of souring relations between Pakistan and United States and a possible halt to aid, he said: “The two countries have very long and cordial relations and are cooperating in multidimensional matters.”
Replying in a lighter vein to a question about arrest warrants for Interior Minister Rehman Malik, he said: “Who will arrest him. He is the one who arrests people.”
He rebutted an impression that the post of federal Minister Babar Awan had been elevated, saying the ministry of law and justice had been restored in accordance with the austerity committee’s guidelines.
The size of the cabinet would soon be curtailed and the constitutional committee would put a limit on the number of cabinet members, Mr Gilani said.
In reply to a question about movement of foreigners in the country, he said tinted glasses were also being used by many others in violation of the law and number-plates of vehicles of foreign diplomats were issued by the Foreign Office.
Talking to reporters after addressing an interfaith Christmas dinner here on Friday, the prime minister defended President Asif Ali Zardari in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s judgment against the National Reconciliation Ordinance.
“It will be tantamount to double jeopardy to ask him to resign on the grounds of cases for which he has already undergone 12 years’ imprisonment.”
The prime minister said he had also been sentenced to five-year imprisonment in a case prepared by the National Accountability Bureau for giving jobs to people and had served almost a life-term in jail, but he had never complained against the perpetrators.
He wondered why the names of former president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz were not being mentioned, although they had authored the NRO and failed to prove any case despite spending Rs4 billion on investigations.
The prime minister said the PPP and PML-N had reached a consensus in 2006, during negotiations over the Charter of Democracy, that all past cases were politically motivated. The understanding found a mention in the charter, he recalled.
He said only five per cent of the people accused by NAB had gone to jail and 95 per cent had joined the government.
In reply to a question regarding his plan to disband the bureau and set up an accountability commission, he said: “I have sent the draft of the proposed accountability law to Mian Nawaz Sharif for his input so that it can be approved by parliament at the earliest.
“We did not defend the NRO in the court because we knew its fallout and are in the process of sorting out the matter.”
When asked about reopening of the Swiss case, he said the Swiss government had put the onus on the Pakistan government to first initiate the case here.
The prime minister denied any rift between himself and the president over a cabinet reshuffle. “It is my prerogative to constitute the cabinet, while Mr Zardari runs the party. Hence there is no question of any differences.”
Prime Minister Gilani played down a controversy over denial of visas to Americans. “Visas in genuine cases will be issued soon.”
Mr Gilani said there were two types of visas in question, those related to armed forces and diplomatic ones, which would be granted after usual scrutiny.
In reply to a question about reports of souring relations between Pakistan and United States and a possible halt to aid, he said: “The two countries have very long and cordial relations and are cooperating in multidimensional matters.”
Replying in a lighter vein to a question about arrest warrants for Interior Minister Rehman Malik, he said: “Who will arrest him. He is the one who arrests people.”
He rebutted an impression that the post of federal Minister Babar Awan had been elevated, saying the ministry of law and justice had been restored in accordance with the austerity committee’s guidelines.
The size of the cabinet would soon be curtailed and the constitutional committee would put a limit on the number of cabinet members, Mr Gilani said.
In reply to a question about movement of foreigners in the country, he said tinted glasses were also being used by many others in violation of the law and number-plates of vehicles of foreign diplomats were issued by the Foreign Office.
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