Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday said he was not afraid of the country’s judiciary, as “the people who are part of the judiciary are my friends”, adding that his son Ali Musa Gilani would not seek bail from courts if he was sentenced in the chemical quota scam.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with Attorney General for Pakistan Irfan Qadir, Gilani said in case he was convicted in the contempt of court case, he would not seek presidential clemency.
He was of the opinion that his son was being targeted on behest of someone and he was also facing similar challenges.
During meeting, Attorney General Irfan Qadir briefed the PM about the possible outcome of apex court’s verdict and both discussed various legal complexities arising out of the adverse verdict.
On Tuesday, the attorney general would be arguing his prosecution case and it is expected that the seven-member larger bench would reserve its judgment in the issue after conclusion of his arguments.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for the prime minister, has already concluded his arguments over the issue.
While addressing the Muslim Hands International Conference at the Islamabad Convention Centre earlier, Prime Minister Gilani said all issues with India, including withdrawal of troops from Siachen and the Kashmir dispute, must be resolved through dialogue.
“I strongly believe that better sense will prevail on two sides and we will resolve these issues through dialogue,” Gilani said.
The conference on the topic of ‘Role of international NGO in relief and development in Pakistan’ attracted delegates of Muslim Hands International – a non-governmental organization – from 40 countries including Europe, Africa and Asia.
The prime minister said the era of warfare had ended and it was time to settle issues with other countries through negotiations.
He recalled that at the time he assumed office in 2008, Pakistan’s relations with India, Afghanistan and Iran were not satisfactory.
He said he took the initiative in normalizing the relations with India in particular and met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an international summit and stressed for pursuing the dialogue policy.
Gilani said it was agreed in his several meeting with Dr Singh that issues including Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen, water disputes and terrorism could be resolved through political will.
Prime Minister Gilani appreciated the services of the Muslim Hands International in more than 50 countries in the areas of development, reduction of poverty, promotion of education and for the rehabilitation of the people affected by different natural and man-made disasters.
Gilani said the conference recognized the very important role of NGOs in the development of Pakistan and also highlighted the imperative of forming partnerships to maximize the output through greater sharing of ideas, resources and collaborations.
He said the efforts of NGOs needed to be appreciated with Muslim Hands being at the forefront in such times of suffering and agony.
He said no country could attain desirable levels of development unless its affluent sections of society came forward and lent a helping hand to the government.
PM doesn’t fear ‘friendly judiciary’
