ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said that there was no threat of either “judicial” or “military” coup as both the institutions were pro-democracy and did not want to derail the system.
The prime minister was responding to the queries of callers from across the country in a live PTV's programme “Prime Minister Online”.
To a question about the submission of reply by the government, Army, and ISI to the Supreme Court in Memo Case, the prime minister said there will be one reply from the executive authority.
The PM said Pakistan's decision to boycott the Bonn Conference in protest against the Nato/Isaf attack and violation of its sovereignty, was final and taken collectively.
“How we can attend the conference when our sovereignty came under attack,” he remarked.
The soil of Afghanistan was used against sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan, he added.
He said the decision of staying away from the Bonn Conference was taken after thoughtful consideration and after the meeting of the Federal Cabinet which also endorsed the decisions of halting Nato supplies and vacation of Shamsi Airbase, taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet.
The decision was unanimous and taken with collective wisdom and keeping in view sentiments and aspirations of the people, he said adding, “If we sit in the Bonn Conference and another attack takes place who will be responsible for that.”
“When German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked me to attend the conference, I told her that the matter is referred to a high powered Parliamentary Committee on National Security,” he added.
He said in his opinion, the decision to not to attend the conference was in line with national honour, self-respect and dignity.
He denied that it was being considered to send Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to Bonn.
Gilani said Pakistan can work with the United States, Nato and Isaf under a new agreement and by devising new rules of engagement.
“We have to formulate new rules of engagement and we can work under a new agreement.”
The Prime Minister said it is upto the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to give recommendations for a decision on ties with US and Nato.
He said the military government of Pervez Musharraf first decided the rules of engagement with the US and Nato.
To a question, he said the international community condemned the Nato attack on Pakistani posts.
It is an attack on the integrity of Pakistan and it was decided in the resolutions of the joint sitting of the parliament and All Parties Conference that if US again takes a unilateral action, Pakistan will respond, he said adding and now the government responded by shutting off the supplies of Nato and getting vacated Shamsi Airbase.
He said he will attend the meeting of the National Security Committee of Parliament on Friday and the members will be briefed on the Nato attack and other issues.
The recommendations of the parliamentary committee will be put before joint session of the parliament.
The PM further said Husain Haqqani did not intend to go out of Pakistan and “we are as patriotic as anybody else.”
About Russia's reaction on the Nato attack, he said Russia is a sovereign country, which has its own bilateral relations and international commitments.
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