Rejecting the notion of any confrontation between the government and Supreme Court over the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issue, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani categorically stated on Wednesday that all verdicts of the apex court would be implemented in letter and spirit in line with the constitution and law.
“There is no confrontation with the Supreme Court. Was it not our right to go for a review in the NRO decision? The Supreme Court rejected the review petition, it was their right,” Gilani said in an interview with a private television channel aired on Wednesday.
The prime minister said even before going for the review of NRO verdict, the government was implementing the court’s earlier decision under which a number of people and senior government officials, including the interior minister, faced court trials – a fact also appreciated by the chief justice.
To a question about the case against the government’s policy of Rental Power Projects (RPPs) being pursued by Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat in the Supreme Court, the prime minister said Hayat had approached the court on this issue when he was in the opposition, but it was magnanimous of him to pursue it still while he was a federal minister.
About economic challenges, the prime minister said the government had inherited a poor economy but had striven to steer it out of the woods despite the challenges of global recession, war or terror and floods.
Later, chairing a meeting on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s 44th Foundation Day at Sindh Chief Minister’s House, Gilani said since he was the head of the Nuclear Command Authority, he was looking after the matter himself and as chief executive would ensure that the issue was properly dealt with.
He said further that the government would wait for the investigation of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security into the memogate scandal to finish and expressed his commitment to the sovereignty of Pakistan.
He congratulated the workers and well-wishers of the PPP on the party’s Foundation Day and praised their struggle. “We must all remain united and will not allow enemies of Pakistan to take advantage of our political differences. The people opposing the PPP must realise that the country comes first and not their opposition against the party or government,” said Gilani.
The NATO attack was a tragedy and the government had strongly protested against it, he added. “We cannot allow our people to feel insecure and no one can take us for granted.”
