The United States has given a clear signal to Pakistan to get rid of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, if it wants, through former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, who admitted the existence of a memo from the government of Pakistan to Washington sent by Pakistan’s Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, former finance minister and veteran politician Dr Mubasher Hasan told Pakistan Today here on Friday.
“It is now up to Pakistan to decide whether it will proceed legally or illegally; the contents of the memo are patently treasonous. The die is cast,” said Dr Hasan. “In my humble opinion the ball now is in the court of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The matter is of the highest importance. If no legal way can be found to deal with the situation, the question will pass on to the forces having power in the polity of Pakistan,” he added. He believes that for the Supreme Court, the matter is the mother of all suo motu actions. The position of Zardari, Gilani and their allies is untenable, but they have to be given a chance to prove their innocence. That chance, he said, could come only through institution of a commission comprising a panel of judges of the Supreme Court.
He said further that Zardari and Gilani should avail this opportunity by proceeding on leave and should pledge not to leave the country while the investigations last. “Gilani is prima facie guilty of culpable inaction. What was he doing when the plot of bringing American boots into Pakistan, of a purge in the military and its intelligence and action against extremist elements in Pakistan by America was being hatched?” said Dr Hasan.
“What was he doing when the plan for launching an insurrection in Pakistan by persons nominated by the US was being hatched? What were his intelligence services doing? Almost a year has passed since the plot of insurrection in Pakistan was hatched. What investigation did he launch in May when the plot was aborted?”
With memo, US gave Pakistan signal to oust Zardari, Gilani: Dr Hasan
