LAHORE, Oct 1: PML-QA Vice-President Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri says a daunting task before the leadership elected as a result of the general election will be striking a balance in the political and military leadership in a manner that the army returns to the barracks and politicians acquire their due role in governance.
Answering reporters’ questions at a “Meet the Press” programme of the Lahore Press Club on Tuesday, he said the army should be assured that political government would not interfere with its internal matters.
There should be no confrontation between the army and politicians in the future, he emphasized.
In response to a question, he said his party would form government at the centre and in the Punjab. In the NWFP and Balochistan it would form its coalition with the other parties.
In Sindh, he said it would be either the PPP or the PML-QA which would form coalition.
PERVAIZ ELAHI: Punjab PML-QA President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Tuesday it was the national security institutions, not Mian Nawaz Sharif, who had taken the decision of going for nuclear explosions in response to similar tests by India.
Talking to reporters, he said it was for this reason that the explosions had been delayed for six days.
The PML-QA leader said Ms Benazir Bhutto had said in a statement that Mr Sharif’s conversation with former US president Bill Clinton on the nuclear tests should be made public. Mr Sharif, he recalled, had told the US president that he did not want tests but it was the army which was not agreeing with his point of view.
As for the missiles programme, Pervaiz Elahi said it was also the result of the defence forces.
The PML-QA leader said that Indian Prime Minister Vajpeyee had come to Pakistan to “solve” the Kashmir dispute by declaring the Line of Control as international border. But, he said, it was the armed forces which had thwarted the bid. He said the Kashmir issue was conspicuous by its absence in the Lahore Declaration, but it was the army which got it included in it.
Meanwhile, the Punjab National Party has announced its unconditional support to the PML-QA.
NAHEED KHAN: Ms Benazir Bhutto’s political secretary Naheed Khan warned on Tuesday that manipulation of the election results would lead to a direct confrontation between the army and the people.
Talking to reporters at the office of PPP leader Munawwar Anjum, she said the government was involved in pre-poll rigging which was very dangerous for the country.
She said the army had no role to play in governance and if the PPP was voted to power, it would ensure that this provision was adhered to.
She was critical of the moves to make LFO protection a part of the legislators’ oath. She warned that such a move would curtail the life of the future parliament.
Ms Khan told a reporter that in case of free and fair elections, the PPP would sweep most of the seats.