BB killing probe almost complete: PM

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said the investigation into the killing of Benazir Bhutto was almost complete and the Pakistan People’s Party’s central executive committee would decide whether to disclose some portions of the inquiry. Talking to reporters after offering prayers at Beanzir’s mausoleum in Naudero, Gilani said the PPP was a visionary party and pursuing the politics of reconciliation in accordance with Benzir’s vision. Gilani said that the constitution was created by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and eventually restored by his party (PPP). The prime minister added that he had dispelled the rumours regarding the removal of General Kayani and Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha.
Commenting on the PTI’s popularity, he said people with no vision were uniting under the umbrella of “king’s party”. The prime minister said the PPP was a big party and had the courage to fight conspiracies being hatched against it. To a query, the PM said there would be no confrontation between the state’s institutions if they worked within the limits defined by the constitution. He said a conspiracy had been hatched to pit the government against the judiciary, but the PPP was “big enough” to face any conspiracy.
Gilani said the government did not want to affect the investigations into the memo case. To a question regarding the “memogate”, Gilani said, “I am the premier, not a judge. The court will uncover the matter.” He said the PPP was the name of an ideology, adding that “we are committed to the people regardless of the any political season”. Expressing resolve that government wanted to take all parties along, he said efforts were made in every era to pit institutions against each other.
“We are working to bring all institutions under the constitution, as deviation from the constitution will lead to clash,” Gilani said, adding that the government did not want to enter into any battle. Gilani also said that the parliament was supreme and would take decision on all issues of national importance, adding that the supremacy of parliament would be ensured.
The prime minister said only the “weak-hearted” had left the PPP, “and it is good, as such people could damage the party at the time of election”. Talking to reporters in Islamabad later, the prime minister said an inquiry was underway into the memo-related London visit of ISI director general (DG). Asked whether the ISI DG had visited London with the permission regarding the memo investigations, Gilani said, “General Pasha went to Doha after informing me, but an inquiry is being made into the London visit,” he said. Gilani said future relationship with NATO, ISAF and the US would be decided by parliament. He clarified that he had never said that the government did not respect state institutions.
He said first the judiciary was provoked “with a false impression that I wanted to de-notify the judges my government had restored”. “This was a conspiracy. Under the same situation, I also said on Monday that I did not want to let go of the army chief and ISI DG,” he added. The prime minister, however, reiterated that there should not be a parallel government. “When all secretaries had submitted their affidavits (with the government) and the secretary defence said that those institutions (army and ISI) did not fall under the government’s ambit, I said a state within the state was not acceptable,” he said. He defended the extension to the chief of army staff and the ISI DG, stating that generals were not changed in the middle of a war. “Under the same spirit, I had requested General Kayani to accept extension. This was not an appeal,” he asserted. To another query, Gilani said all the institutions fell under the government and their functions, whether operational or non-operational, were also under the government. Regarding his statement submitted in the apex court regarding the press conference by former law minister Dr Babar Awan, the PM said Awan would himself respond for his conduct. Asked why the government had handed down the memo case to the parliamentary committee on national security if the memo was baseless and held no ground, Gilani said that it was not his decision and rather the civilian and military top brass was present in the meeting which took the unanimous decision. He said the nation already wanted to cut NATO supplies, but the decision was taken when the civilian and military leadership decided to. “The memo case was also referred to the committee after informing the president, army chief, and the ISI DG,” he maintained. However, late at night, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s House called incorrect a news report run by several TV channels quoting Gilani as saying that investigation was underway into ISI DG’s visit to London in connection with the memo case. In a clarification, the spokesman said the prime minister had meant that the case was in court and sub judice.