Musharraf to face cases on return: PM
MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Monday that there were cases against Musharraf and the chief justice would welcome him on his return.
He said this while talking to newsmen here at the residence of senior vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi when asked to comment on a report published in a Britain magazine regarding possibility of martial law in the country.
The prime minister rejected all such reports and said that democracy was strong, judiciary was functioning independently, political parties were active and parliament was taking decisions with consensus in the country. He termed such thinking as undemocratic and criminal.
He said that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, judiciary and all others were in support of democracy and no negative thinking existed in the country.
He said that Hashmi also suffered jail hardships for the rights of the people and democracy. Benazir Bhutto had sacrificed her life for the cause of democracy and the right of the people, he added.
The prime minister had reached the residence of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi to inquire about his health after the PML-N leader shifted to home following recovering from brain hemorrhage he had suffered in Multan July last.
When asked about complaints of embankments breached allegedly on political grounds during floods, the prime minister said that provincial governments should hold judicial inquiries into the incidents of embankments' breaches in their respective provinces.
In response to another question, Prime Minister Gilani said, "I foresee coalition government set-ups in future too. It seems difficult for a single party to gain decisive majority".
To another question, he said that the government attached top priority to the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims and suggested diverting funds from budget and development allocation to provide them much needed help.
Gilani suggested that the provincial governments should also cut their expenses to accommodate flood-hit people. The federal government was revising the national budget and provinces should also follow the suit to help the flood affected people, he added.
He said that the government was committed to strengthen institutions.
Answering another question about former president Musharraf's return to the country, the Prime Minister said that he did not know about it but added that there were cases against him (Musharraf).
He said that the people have so far deposited Rs 4 billion in the PM's Relief Fund while the cellular phone users donated another Rs 1 billion by donating Rs 5 per each short message (SMS). The people to help their brethren also donated tons of food, he added.
Friendly countries including China, European Union, the United States, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, some other Muslim countries besides OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries), the United Nations (UN) and others have extended support to Pakistan in this testing time and "we are thankful to them", PM Gilani said.
The prime minister especially thanked King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia on extending generous support to Pakistan.
He said that flood was now hurting the Sindh province and added that flood hit people there needed tents for shelter.
The prime minister said that Qasim Bela road was blocked for traffic after bomb attack on an office located there. However, a sum of Rs 50 million was approved to build an alternate road.
To a question about the Kalabagh dam, he said that he was not opposed to the project but added that consensus among all was must to build big water reservoirs.
He said that consensus had been developed on Bhasha Dam in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and work would begin soon.

No comments:
Post a Comment