Govt to land safely in 2013, despite jolts: Malik

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that the PPP-led government will suffer more brunt, but nevertheless it will complete its 5-year tenure.
Talking to journalists outside the Parliament House on Monday, he said there could be jolts to government, but it would land safely strictly in 2013.
He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was not under the jurisdiction of the prime minister and advised the NAB chairman to review law and regulations carefully, to realise that no one could dare to interfere in NAB proceedings.
He also strongly rejected the notion of confrontation between institutions, as what seemed like confrontation was ‘actually the process of marking the limits of institutions’, which were previously ‘grievously ignored’.
He said that government’s legal team was overseeing the issue, and would soon present its stance, for which the government was fully empowered.
Replying to a question, he expressed regrets that apex court accepted the petition of Nawaz Sharif with great élan, and said that PM, like him (Rehman) would face the court with great confidence.
Replying to another question, he said that an earlier accountability bureau was under direct control of government, while incumbents placed NAB under direct control of law.
He said the policy of national reconciliation was adopted in accordance with vision of late Benazir Bhutto, in order to take the country out of crisis, while the issue of restoration of Judiciary was also resolved under the policy of national reconciliation.
He said Benazir Bhutto wanted to asses that nobody should have violated assuring the government would never go against the verdicts of Supreme Court, and PPPP would never physically assault the Supreme Court, like “Nawaz Sharif did”.
He said the government would fully comply with any orders of Supreme Court, regarding Mansoor Ejaz issue, and besides issuing him a visa would also provide him with Army, and (also) police security.
He also scoffed at Mansoor Ejaz’s boast about being able to topple the current PPPP regime, and said that he (Rehman) would personally appear in front of Memogate Commission, and said that any step against Mansoor Ejaz would be taken strictly on legal basis.
Answering a question regarding Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s meeting with PM, he strongly rejected such baseless rumors, and said that all would be taken abroad to serve the federation.