The differences between the army and the government appeared to have reached a point of confrontation and alarm bells started ringing in the corridors of power as the normally soft-spoken and reconciliatory-in-approach Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani finally lost control over his patience on Thursday and hit out hard at the military establishment while asserting his authority as the chief executive of the country, with a message to all that no one should be mistaken that state institutions were answerable to him.
He started his day addressing as chief guest an exhibition of rare photographs of the Pakistan movement to mark the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and instead of speaking on the subject, he made a fully-loaded extempore political speech to build his case as the head of a political government against
which, he feared, a conspiracy was being hatched and threw the ball in the court of the people to decide if they wanted democracy or dictatorship in the country.
“Conspirators are plotting to bring down the elected government but the people have the right to decide whether they want democracy or dictatorship,” the prime minister said, reacting to a statement of the Defence Ministry that it did not exercise operational control over the army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
He said he was chief executive of the country and all organs of the state were answerable to him and parliament. Without naming the armed forces, he tacitly said they were paid by the national exchequer and by the tax paid by the people of the country. “There can be no state within the state … no institution can say that it’s not under the government… if any individual says he is not under the government, he is mistaken,” he said, asserting his authority with a clear message to the army and the ISI.
Tracing the history of palatial conspiracies, he said with the inception of Pakistan palatial intrigues had started to dislodge the democratic process. “Autocracy had always attacked democracy and the constitution and now again a conspiracy is being hatched to derail the democratic government,” he said, as the memo issue seemed to take its toll, this time national security being the reason for any undemocratic move if the stand-off between the civil and military establishments reaches a point of no return.
The prime minister said allegations were always leveled against the democratic forces and this had led to disintegration of Pakistan and now it was for the people to choose between democracy and autocracy. “I want to make it clear today that conspiracies are being hatched here to send the elected government packing… but we will continue to fight for the rights of the people of Pakistan whether or not we remain in government,” he said. The prime minister said it was for the first time in Pakistan’s history that the president handed over his powers to parliament and was a simple figurehead, while the prime minister was the chief executive.
“Now all state institutions acquire their authority from parliament… We have the highest respect and regard for the army as they have stood firmly against the extremist and terrorists confronting the country… Our army is disciplined and follows the constitution,” he said.
Gilani said it were the people of Pakistan who had taken ownership of the fight against terrorism. He said he took the responsibility of the military actions being taken in the country, and that no army could fight without the support of the people. The prime minister also said he was the longest serving chief executive of Pakistan with 45 months in office, while Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had served for 43 months. “If I cannot safeguard the rights of the people of Pakistan, I have no right to be the chief executive of the country,” he added.
As if the impromptu outburst was not enough, he continued to express his displeasure with the army and the ISI in the National Assembly later in the day, understandably to garner support from the elected representatives of the people and to also check who supported him among the political parties represented in parliament.
Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, Gilani said the democratic system needed some more time to get stronger. “If any institution says it is a state within state, it is not acceptable. It would be wrong to state that these institutions (the army and the ISI) do not come under the Ministry of Defence,” he repeated in the Lower House of parliament.
He said all the members of parliament were elected representatives of the people and that was the reason that every institution was answerable to parliament, which was supreme. The premier said whenever the establishment faced a difficult time, the government took ownership and never allowed anyone to question them. “In the case of OBL (Osama bin Laden), we also stood by them like a rock. Though we had some differences, we supported them. After the Mumbai attacks, we also supported them and even fired General (Mahmud) Durrani,” he said, adding that the nature of issues had changed from the tenure of General (r) Pervez Musharraf and now the challenges were different.
Gilani said that during the war on terrorism, the government doubled the salaries of the armed forces despite a financial crunch. He said after the May 2 incident, the joint session of parliament was summoned to investigate how Osama managed to live in Pakistan for six years. “Now the (Abbottabad) commission questions how the visas were issued (to Americans). But we want to know on what visa Osama entered Pakistan and remained here for six long years,” he said, directly hitting out at the ISI and questioning its role as the country’s premier intelligence agency.
It is real after all.
It is advisable to leave with dignity and grace. Dissolve the parliament and ask for fresh mandate.
There is nothing to be gained from clinging to power.
It is not you Mr PM Gillani; such is addiction to be in a position of power that even Margaret Thatcher did not want to leave. But she had to and John Major replaced him.
"But we will continue to fight for the rights of people of Pakistan whether or not we remain in the government," Gilani said.
JUST ONE CORRECTION
"But we will continue to fight for the rights of people of Pakistan whether or not THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN WANT US TO," Gilani should have said.
i hope they hang him for criminal incompetence
^ rightly said….to this their answer will be, "hang nobody, mufahimat se kaam lein"
Ab tu chaly jao
The only thing I like about Mr. Gilani is his expensive suits and ties !!
they suits are not bought with haq hahal honestly earn money rather from kickbacks of hajj scam and mobile power house scam
A corrupt and annoying person who asks for our ire whenever he speaks. Getting rid of him will be good riddance
marja zardari ;/
I beg to the establisment, who ever this is, to let this corrupt government complete their five year terms upto the last sigle day. Let them do the damage for one more year. If they are deprived even by one day, they would again plead the nation that they were not allowed to complete their term. Let them complete the term and then face the music in next general elections!
Enough is enouggh.
This country can only survive if Parliament is the supreme institution. It would a disaster if any one else is allowed to remove this government.
I fully agree with Gilani.
"It is advisable to leave with dignity and grace. Dissolve the parliament and ask for fresh mandate."
repeated from Truly Speaking above.
Bravo Bravo PPP
Exposing deep state will be your biggest service to the nation.
it is a terrible prospect indeed. since independence, the two top institutions of the state, civil government and the military establishment have always been at loggerheads with each other resulting in corruption and foreign powers finding an easy inlet with common citizen of Pakistan the real loser turned into pauper. the future looks extremely bleak!
I think that our Army stood for the present government .But they cannot blind fold themself
when the zordari and etc are working to undermine them…ITS ABOUT TIME TO LET THEM GO TO GALLOWS
Gilliani should not worry about coup he should call an early election and see the result where he and his thugs stand
he and his party are the real problem specially that man who calls himself the president and i can bet after election he will leave the country along with most of his part and will enjoy the benefits of loot which he and his ministers have accumulated .stop blaming the army if they wanted they would have kicked the so called elected govt out along with the parlimentarians
yes they made a mistake and both Kayani and pashi offered resignations why was it not accepted if they are so wrong
I support Gilani 100%. Power should come from people only.
Truth is Pakistan Army is cause of Pakistan's failure which has ruled the country since 1947. Liaquat Ali Khan was executed in a failed military coup.It was the cause of East Pakistan separation where Bengali Muslim women were officially raped by Pakistan Army in operation Search Light.
We celebrate 6th Sept as day of defense. Truth is Pakistan Army attacked India in 1965 under failed Operation Gibralter when soldiers disguised in tribal cloths attacked Kashmir.
Today Pakistan is ruled by ISI & nine Pakistani Core Commanders with COAS. Wealth hold by these Army Generals and officer mafia worth billions of US dollars. Power comes from Army and they enjoy the fruit. Power do not come from people in Pakistan and they suffer. Army will never hand over power to people elected civilian governments.
There should by a struggle against Army in Pakistan to transfer power to civilians fully as is going on in Egypt.
what govt..??? you are a beggar nation who exports terror and lives on US alms…so who cares what any paki says…
Mr Coconut.
There is no denying the fact that the civil administration should be the ones holding the reins. There is all the more reason for the present PM to ask for a fresh mandate and follow the wishes of the people of Pakistan. I am not sure what the PM wishes to achieve by clinging to power for another year.
As far as the comments of the writer are concerned they show a pitiable lack of understanding and grasp of both the history of Pakistan and the history of Pakistan Army. It is most reprehensible to implicate Pakistan Army in an assassination happened more than 60years ago.
It was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Late Aziz Ahmed who joined hands to send people in Kashmir. They convinced Ayub Khan that India will not cross the international borders.
If Pakistan Army wanted to bring a coup d’état it did not need any one to tell them. Pakistan Army is made of jawans and officers and not only a certain number of generals. These are the generals who have shown restraint and they must be commended for this.
The difference here is that the people of Pakistan love its soldiers, its jawans and officers. They know that they are the ones who will lay their lives in the defence of the country when people like us will be sleeping in our beds.
Mr PM the language you have used it is extremely sad and deplorable. You are not the first PM of this country who has displayed this level of incompetence in managing a state institution.
Before you sir there were other both males and a female. They were unable to lead from the front , like you, and fought with their own tools like a bad workman.
This is exactly what you are doing now. Instead of saying you are unable to deliver and call a quit you have started to malign your own state institutions.
This is very sad and deplorable indeed.
England
22nd December 2011
2240hors
http://www.pakistantoday.mbt.pk/2011/12/gilani-fe…
By & large its nameless & faceless people who r supporting army. I think people should properly identify them before making comments.
Mr Cheema, you should be interested in what is being said rather than who is saying it.
Nameless & faceless only speak the voice of deep state.
the tragedy with pakistanis is that they want instant solution.Having no training in democracy,they can not see any virtue in democratic govt.Zardari and gilani may be leading the most corrupt govt,so wait for the elections and throw them out.That is how it works in democracy. And be assured they are less corrupt then the most inefficent (Pakistan)army in the world.Ayub Khan,Yahya Khan,Zia ul Haq and Musharaff–you don't need any more example.
Also please acknowledge this state allowed you to become PM, president,Governors.Else no state in the WORLD allows CRIMINALS to rule the people
Reply to: A Reader,
Let us correct historical records. Thanks to internet! Now we can talk.
1.The assassination of two best elected PMs by Pakistan Army:
Liaquat Ali Khan was killed in a failed military coup staged by then Generals. Bhutto was killed by a sham court trial controlled by General Zia.
2.Breaking of Pakistan into two pieces (1971) by Army:
Pakistan Army was ruling the country for 13 years. How anyone else can be blamed? Mujeeb who spoke about provincial autonomy only up to March 1971, declared complete separation after Pakistan Army officially used rape of Bengali women as an instrument of war. Visit Dhaka Libration Museum if you have doubts.
3.Start of 1965 War by Army:
Ayub Khan was ruling the country with an iron fist. No matter who were his advisors, Ayub Khan is responsible for starting the 1965 war and death of over 20 thousand innocent soldiers. We cannot celebrate 6th Sept as Defense Day. It should be remembered as an Offense Day.
4.How we don’t know about this black face of Pakistan Army in 64 years?
Because Media is controlled 100% by Army’s ISPR department So we can read about the girlfriend of an elected President. But people will never read/hear about the girlfriend of a Core Commander or Chief of Army Staff. We often read/hear that a Politician, Police officer, Customs officer is corrupt. Have we ever read/heard that an Army Officer is corrupt? It shows how media is controlled by Army. It is the real boss in Pakistan.
Summary:
It is Pakistan Army who has looted 70% wealth of poor Pakistani people and gave back three lost wars, propaganda by controlling media and poverty. The Indian Army is under civilian control. That is why India is prospering today.
you real Name is kalay khan wald Teepa and now become have Cheema :))0
zaath de koorah karlee teey shahteeraano jaaphay:))))
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