PPP abstains, others welcome SC order

Pakistan People’s Party Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Friday his party would comment on the Supreme Court’s decision about the enquiry into the memogate scandal after examining the detailed judgment.
Other major political parties welcomed the verdict, advising the government to avoid confrontation with the court and to remain within its constitutional limits. “The Supreme Court has issued a short order. The detailed judgment is yet to come. PPP’s lawyers will examine the decision after its release. We will then decide whether to call for a review of the judgment or not. No comment can be made unless the detailed judgment is released,” said Kaira. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Ayaz Amir objected to the court’s decision, saying that it should not have been delivered on perceptions. He said the court had unnecessarily expanded its jurisdiction in this case, which could be dreadful in future. He said it was not understandable how the security and sovereignty of Pakistan had been damaged through this alleged memo. He said not even the petitioners had mentioned anything about the violation of their fundamental rights in their petitions.
Awami National Party leader Senator Haji Adeel said no one could reject the court orders regardless of whether they liked it or not. “We cannot reject the decision. We will accept it as citizens of this country,” he said. Jamaat-I-Islami Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed welcomed the apex court’s decision saying the memo issue pertained to national security and should be probed. He also advised the government to avoid confrontational politics as it could be detrimental for it as well as the country. MQM spokesman Wasay Jalil said his party accepted the decision. “We are law abiding people and cannot reject the court’s decision,” he said. Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded President and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan welcomed the decision saying the government should avoid conflict with the institutions and respect the verdict. “Every institution of the country should give importance to national interest. The nation wants to know the reality about the memo issue,” Saifullah said, adding that the memo was a serious issue and all the people involved in it should be punished.
MNA Aftab Sherpao said everyone should abide by the decision of the court as doing so was a constitutional obligation as well. “The court has given its decision. No one should oppose it or it could be dangerous for the country”, he added. JUI-Spokesman Maulana Amjad said the whole nation will want the memogate issue to be probed after the court’s decision.