PESHAWAR: Govt creating condition for emergency, says Gilani
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, May 10: Former speaker of National Assembly Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the government is trying to find excuses to clamp down emergency in the country because things have slipped out of its hands.
Talking to journalists in a hotel here on Thursday, he said the civilised world had been putting pressure on the military rulers to hold free, fair and transparent elections and ensure transfer of power to the party winning the election.
But, he said, the rulers had engaged in organising rallies to counter the democratic movement spearheaded by lawyers across the country.
He said Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had made a speech on the importance of fundamental rights at a reception at the Lahore High Court on May 12, but these rights would be the first casualty if an emergency was imposed. He alleged that the government was making all-out efforts to wind up its hotchpotch system and create reasons for imposing emergency.
Mr Gilani, who is senior vice-president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, had arrived here to condole with the family of Syed Qamar Abbas, provincial senior vice-president of the PPP, who was assassinated on May 6.
He said Mr Abbas was a die-hard political activist, who had worked for the rule of law, people’s rights and restoration of democracy throughout his life. He said all democratic forces had condemned his assassination.
He urged the government to arrest his killers.
Eulogising the role of lawyers and media people, he said the nation was fighting for the independence of judiciary.
He said it was long overdue for lawyers to fight for the independence of bench and bar.
He said the lawyers’ community had launched an unprecedented movement in defence of fundamental rights.
He said the movement was a reaction to socio-economic deprivations.
He said lawyers were leading the mass movement, but “we, being politicians, are ashamed because our parliament is so weak.
“It is a rubber stamp parliament, which has failed to restore democracy and the Constitution”.
He said those who had been involved in dissolving civilian governments were running affairs of the present government, which was neither a federal parliamentary government nor a presidential one. “The Constitution does not have a provision for such type of a government,” he said.
He denied that his party was going to strike a deal with President Gen Pervez Musharraf for power-sharing. He said: “The ruling Pakistan Muslim League wants a continuity of the dictatorship and believes in power-sharing, and the PPP demands an end to the dictatorship and transfer of power to a civilian government.”
He said PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto would not sacrifice the great sacrifices rendered by the party for restoration of democracy.
He said the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and the PML-N was a sacred document, it would survive and the PPP would implement it when it would come into power.
He said: “If Gen Musharraf sheds his uniform, holds free, fair and transparent elections and transfers power to the winning party, I personally will not oppose his candidature for the president.”
He said Gen Musharraf could not seek a second term as president from the existing parliament.
