Coping with the Memogate fiasco; PPP contemplates over available options

Coping with the Memogate fiasco; PPP contemplates over available options

Islamabad, Saturday, December 24, 2011: Beleaguered by so many inquiring eyes over the memo case, the PPP led government is desperately looking forward to find the ways which may help it in saving the skin. Recently, while encountering
the propaganda initiated by the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, the army chief clearly stated that the military had no interest in disrupting the democratic process, however, he also said that they were not to compromise on the issue of national security
which stood on merit.

The PPP government, who seems believing in ‘offence is the best defence’ theory, yesterday convened its core committee meeting which thoroughly discussed the situation in hand and pondered upon the options vis-à-vis the Memogate
case.

In the meeting, most participants demanded that the government take ‘appropriate action’ against Defence Secretary Naeem Khalid Lodhi, for his ‘controversial statement’ in the Supreme Court.

Lodhi in his reply to the apex court on Wednesday, said the government did not have operational control over the army and its intelligence arm, the Inter-Services Intelligence.

Participants of the meeting said the defence secretary’s statement was tantamount to challenging the authority of the chief executive of the country, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The Prime Minister struck a defiant note on Thursday, saying his government would not accept a ‘state within a state’ in a blunt reference to the military.

The source, a member of the core committee, said the prime minister’s earlier statement – that the army and intelligence chiefs had submitted their replies to the Supreme Court through the proper channel – was only ‘to cover up
things’. “But since they have no regards for us, we decided to place the matter in front of the entire nation,” the source said.

While many participants reportedly appreciated Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s statement, in which he ruled out a military takeover, they said it was not sufficient. The military did not honour such statements in the past and
kept pressurising the democratically-elected governments, they said.

Officially, presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the meeting reviewed the overall political situation in the country and the recent developments. The prime minister gave a comprehensive briefing on the overall situation.

The meeting, at the President House, reiterated that all institutions of the state have to work within the ambit of the Constitution without trespassing into domain of others, Babar said in a press release. The meeting reposed
trust in the leadership of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

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Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen on Dec 24 2011. Filed under Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry