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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Army Had Seriously Taken PM's Remarks, So PM Withdrew His Words .








Prime minister as usual has changed his statement about army before departing to Davos or in other words withdrew his words. Though he had clearly criticized the role of military regarding memogate and army's statement to submitted to supreme court. The warning of ISPR is as foolows.
Pakistan's army warned Wednesday that critical comments made by the prime minister would have "serious ramifications" and could wreak "potentially grievous consequences for the country".
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani earlier in the week told China's People's Daily online that the army chief and head of intelligence services had acted unlawfully by making unilateral submissions to an ongoing Supreme Court inquiry.
The ISPR statement said: "APP issued a statement on 9th of January 2012 giving details of the interview given by the Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan to The People's Daily Online of China when the COAS was also on an official visit to China. The Honourable Prime Minister inter alia termed the responses given by COAS and DG ISI in the alleged Memo Case to the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan as unconstitutional and illegal".
This part of the statement has been quoted and widely debated in the media. There can be no allegation more serious than what the Honourable Prime Minister has leveled against COAS and DG ISI and has unfortunately charged the officers for violation of the Constitution of the Country. This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the Country.
The statement does not take into account following important facts:-
- COAS and DG ISI were cited as Respondents in the Petitions as such and after hearing the parties the Honourable Supreme Court served notices directly to the Respondents. This was not objected to by the learned Attorney General of Pakistan.
- The responses by the respondents were sent to the Ministry of Defence for onward submission to the Honourable Supreme Court, through Attorney General (Law Ministry).
- A letter was also dispatched to the Attorney General of Pakistan and the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan informing that the replies have been submitted to the Ministry of Defence.
- It is emphasized that copies of the statements of the two Respondents were not forwarded directly to the Supreme Court.
- Responsibility for moving summaries and obtaining approvals of Competent Authority thereafter lay with the relevant ministries and not with the Respondents.
It is also highlighted that after a meeting between the Honourable Prime Minister and the COAS, the Honourable Prime Minister had publicly stated through a press release of 16th December 2011 that the replies submitted were " in response to the notice of the Court through proper channel and in accordance with the rules of business." No objections were raised before and thereafter, on the legality and constitutional status of the replies, at any time, during the last more than three weeks of hearing of the case by the Honourable Supreme Court.
It is also categorically stated that COAS and DG ISI in their response to the Honourable Supreme Court were obliged to state facts as known to them, on the Memo Issue. The issue of jurisdiction and maintainability of the Petitions was between the Honourable Supreme Court and the Federation.
Any expectation that COAS will not state the facts is neither constitutional nor legal. Allegiance to State and the Constitution is and will always remain prime consideration for the Respondent, who in this case has followed the book.
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is furious with the Prime Minister for statements scriticising the army and they should be either clarified or withdrawn, a senior military source told Reuters on Saturday, piling pressure on the premier.
Then army chief asked the president that PM should either clarify the remarks or withdraw the words against army. This is as follows:-
"The Army Chief complained to the president about the prime minister's statements, and said they needed to be either clarified or withdrawn," the source told the news agency.
"He said such statements were divisive and made the country more vulnerable."
The Army Chief said 'divisive statements' from Prime Minister hurt Pakistan, the news agency quoted the sources as saying.
However, the President's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the "current security situation came under discussion" during the meeting.
Now , in the last prime minister changed his earlier statement about army before leaving for Davos, as follows:-
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that his statement regarding army chief and DG ISI was relevant in a particular situation and was given due to discrepancies in the statements of senior officials, it was reported.
Prime Minister Gilani was talking to the media at Islamabad airport before his departure for Switzerland where he would be participating at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The PM said that he wanted to dispell the impression that the military officials’ act was unconstitutional and unlawful. Now the situation has become clear and ambiguities have been solved.
PM Gilani said that the country could not afford confrontations among the institutions and every institution has to work in unison to safeguard its interests.

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