No deal with govt on any issue: PPP - Envoys briefed
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, April 20: Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) president Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said the party was not engaged in talks with the government on any issue
, including the release of Asif Ali Zardari.
He was talking to reporters after giving a briefing to ambassadors and high commissioners of various countries to Pakistan on "fabricated" cases against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari and the party's thinking about the current internal and geo-political situation, here on Tuesday.
Mr Fahim said PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had not received any notice from the Swiss court. He denied reports that the PPP was busy in striking a deal with the government. He said the PPP was not aware of any government decision after a written statement submitted by Mr Zardari in response to the government offer to facilitate him to proceed to Switzerland.
The PPP chief said the Swiss ambassador to Pakistan had told him that he (the ambassador) was not aware of any such court notice. He said the notice had not been served on Mr Zardari through proper channel. He said if the government allowed party leaders to have a meeting with Mr Zardari, they would talk to him about his plan to leave the country. He said the party would ask the Swiss court to extend the date of hearing.
Earlier, the PPP leaders briefed the ambassadors and high commissioners of over 30 countries on "victimization policy" of the government against the opposition members, "illegal" formation of the National Security Council (NSC) and pending cases against Mr Zardari.
Mr Zardari's counsel, Senator Farooq Naek and Babar Awan, briefed the envoys about the details of the cases filed against Mr Zardari and their present status. They said Mr Zardari had been kept in "illegal detention."
The PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, gave briefing on the 17th Constitutional Amendment and "illegal" formation of the NSC. He also briefed the envoys on the political situation of the country. The envoys also asked various questions from the PPP leaders at the end of the briefing. The briefing was arranged by the PPP Foreign Liaison Committee.
