News
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Hold your horses, Gilani tells rivals* PM says envoy has been summoned to explain his position over memo controversy
* Terms opposition’s protest ‘uncalled for’
* Rules out any unconstitutional change
By Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: In the face of onslaught by the opposition on the controversial Mike Mullen memo, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani advised the political rivals to refrain from dubbing every issue “threatening one” to the national security following the calls from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers in the National Assembly that the matter should be taken up in the joint session of parliament.
Responding to the criticism by the PML-N lawmakers in the Lower House of Parliament on Mike Mullen memo, Gilani assured the House that the Pakistani envoy in Washington had been summoned to explain his position over the controversy and he would brief the national leadership on this issue.
Terming the opposition’s protest “uncalled for”, the prime minister wondered why a hue and cry was being raised when the action had already been taken on the memo case.
In a direct response to the PML-N members, Gilani stated; “Be patient. No undemocratic step could bring a change in the country before 2013”. “Every wrong has a remedy, PM remarked in one-sentence reply to lengthy speeches of the opposition’s members on memo controversy.
In a lighter vein, Gilani said that opposition was in habit of making issues. “If this one is resolved then they will come up with another one,” he quipped.
Addressing the opposition, Gilani said, “This government has removed all the hurdles in your way as is if you are voted to power, you will have dignified relations based on mutual coexistence with US due to efforts of the PPP government.
He said that government defended the national institutions including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the past and pledged to do so.
He said that the government brought the services chiefs before parliament following May 2 incident on the opposition’s demand.
Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who turned up in the House after the prime minister left, said that rulers would be forced to speak truth on the memo issue, which he termed the biggest charge sheet against the PPP government.
He felt that merely resignation of someone would not be enough as those involved in it have committed treason to the country.
Nisar demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari should disassociate himself from this issue by coming up with a clear reply.
PML-N’s Khwaja Asif said that the memo written to Mike Mullen had the potential to push crisis to new heights, adding that the article and the transcribe of the Blackberry messages should be produced in the joint session of parliament.
He said that the matter could not be pushed under the carpet by demanding that those committed treason should be exposed before the nation.
PML-N’s Ayaz Amir supported the army for its concern over this memo and said that democracy did not mean behaving irresponsibly. He felt that this casual behaviour had put the entire democratic system in danger as the clouds of uncertainty were hovering over parliament and democratic system.
PML-N’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claimed that one of the Pakistani who was present in the dinner was living in Pakistan, and said that the name of this person could be made public whenever needed.
PML-N’s Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi that the revelations were of serious nature and called for summoning all the involved persons in the assembly to expose this conspiracy against the national institutions.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk