The leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its coalition parties on Thursday decided not to file an immediate appeal against the apex court verdict and it was resolved that the decision would be delayed to keep all its options open until the dust settled in the next few days and weeks.
A well-placed source informed Pakistan Today that three different meeting were held following the conviction of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in contempt of court case and after seeking opinion from all sides, it was decided that decision to file any appeal would not be taken in haste and rather further consultation would be made.
“Some leaders of the coalition government view that the government should not go for immediate appeal as this would lead to exhausting their all options. They say that the judiciary has spoken their minds and any immediate appeal would lead them nowhere,” the source said.
“After careful deliberations, the meeting decided to give a robust, considered and appropriate response to the new challenges with great political maturity and wisdom on the one hand and firmness on the other and employing all democratic and constitutional means available,” said Senator Farhatullah Babar, the president’s spokesman. The meeting expressed the PPP’s resolve that it would not be deterred from continuing its struggle for upholding the constitution, the parliament and the rule of law, he added.
At the PPP’s core committee meeting held at the Presidency to consider the situation arising out of the Supreme Court verdict, the defence counsel for prime minister Aitzaz Ahsan briefed the meeting on the short order of the Supreme Court. He briefed the meeting about various legal aspects and their implications.
The meeting was jointly presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani and was attended among other by Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Ahmed Mukhtar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Rehman Malik, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Raja Perviaz Ashraf, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Senator Farooq H Naek, Syed Khursheed Shah, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Syed Naveed Qamar, Senator Jahangir Badar, Senator Faisal Raza Abidi, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Rukhsana Bangash, Fouzia Wahab, Mehreen Anwar Raja, Fouzia Habib and Farhatullah Babar.
After discussing the short order, the meeting expressed dismay that an elected prime minister of the country had been sentenced for upholding the constitution and supremacy of parliament. It also noted with disappointment that while no dictator had been punished for suspension and abrogation of the constitution, a democratically and unanimously elected prime minister had been sentenced for upholding the constitution. It expressed concern over attempts to dismiss an elected government and an elected prime minister, it said.
The meeting expressed complete solidarity with Gilani and said he was the elected prime minister of the country and could be removed only in accordance with the procedure laid down by the constitution. The meeting congratulated the prime minister for standing up with dignity, grace and courage for defending the constitution and upholding its supremacy.
Babar said the meeting placed on record its appreciation for the defence counsel Aitzaz Ahsan and his team for the spirited and competent defence of the prime minister in the Supreme Court. The meeting called upon the defence team to study the full order of the court as and when it became available and give its considered opinion on whether and when to file an appeal against the verdict.
The meeting appreciated and thanked the allied parties in the coalition government for showing solidarity with the prime minister and signaling the unity of political forces.
Earlier, a meeting was also held with PPP coalition partners. The meeting presided over by President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was attended by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Pervaz Elahi, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Ghouri, Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, Haji Khuda Baksh Rajar, Munir Khan Orakzai, Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, Syed Khursheed Shah, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar and Farhatullah Babar.
The meeting congratulated Gilani for his stance in defending the constitution.
The president also thanked the coalition partners for their support to strengthen the political system and standing behind the prime minister.
Earlier, a special meeting of the federal cabinet discussed the situation at length. The cabinet reposed full confidence in the leadership of the prime minister.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahas and Attorney General Irfan Qadir briefed the cabinet on the court verdict and options available with the PM. The meeting decided to wait for the detailed verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) in the contempt case.
It was decided that the case was of political nature and there was no justification for Prime Minister Gilani to resign on moral grounds.
Gilani was greeted by his colleagues at the cabinet meeting who thumped desks to express their support. The prime minister said the PPP had always stood by the constitution and would continue to do so. Prime Minister Gilani said the NA speaker had the authority to decide about the fate of public representatives. “Pakistan’s future would have been different had law of necessity not prevailed in the case of Molvi Tameezuddin,” he observed.
He told the cabinet members that he had never insulted the courts.
Once a PCO Judge, always a PCO Judge. The PCO judges have given an unconstitutional verdict. It must be resisted at all costs. It is shameful to note that the present Supreme Court comprising of PCO judges has made it a habit to issue short orders, wait for public debate and then try to cover its flanks in detailed judgement.
Learn to respect Law of the land! Mafia style thuggary in the name of democracy must end now. What example you are setting for people of Pakistan, get convicted and flout it.
They will ofcourse detaly it, buying more time and then try to make review more longer, by the time current government term will be over! They also want to drag this more try to be victims as court didnt give much chance to them to gain sham sympathies by handing only nominal punishment.
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