PM reminds foes of ‘plea bargains’

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday reminded his political foes not to forget the plea bargains they had reached in order to have their crimes condoned and strongly rejected their claims over the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), which was agreed upon by slain former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairwoman Benazir Bhutto and former president Pervez Musharraf.
The premier said elements who were trying to create mayhem with their hollow hue and cry should not forget the unmatched legacy of the PPP, which never succumbed to pressures. Addressing a group of parliamentarians from Sargodha, the prime minister claimed that the era of entering the power corridors “on crutches” had passed and now it could be only done through public support.
“The politics in the country is not an ideal business; the PPP leadership bore trials and faced jails,” he said, adding that the real revolution was introduced by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, against whom the top political leaders of their time could not stand. Gilani said agreements such as the NRO were enforced in the past, but the only difference was that the PPP government had been made a stock of criticism while others were awarded.
Calling party leaders loyal to PPP’s ideology assets, he said those who left the party were opportunists and stressed upon his party workers to value its leadership by showing allegiance.