Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said he would employ all legal ways to get his name cleared of contempt charges, as he did not commit any ethical or financial crime.
He was speaking at a luncheon hosted by PPP Britain in his honour.
The PM said it should be clear to all who wanted to send him home that this was a matter of interpretation of the constitution and he would go to the last extent. He said the political forces who took part in the movement for restoration of judiciary wanted to take the court verdict in their favour. “There is no law regarding contempt in the country. It was only tried on me,” he added. He said the time had gone for someone to enter the power corridors through the back door. “There is a constitutional way to change the president or prime minister,” Gilani said.
In an interview with Sky TV in London earlier, the prime minister highlighted the importance of Pakistan in the war against terror and urged the international community, especially the United States to share information for the success of this war. “We know the importance of the United States. We really want to improve our relations. We are in the middle of discussions and I am sure that better things will come out,” he said. “There have been lots of ups and downs in our relationship,” he added. Gilani also described the relationship between CIA and ISI as “good”. “All high-value targets of al Qaeda have been achieved with the support and help of the ISI,” the PM said. “Therefore, when we are working together so closely, I think there should be no hesitation in sharing information with Pakistan.”
Prime Minister Gilani told Daily Telegraph later that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was not in Pakistan and the US had failed to provide any “actionable information” to suggest otherwise. “Why should I think he (Zawahiri) is in Pakistan? The CIA and Pakistan’s ISI are cooperating closely. They should work together and if there is any credible, actionable information, please share with us so that we can get hold of him,” Gilani said. Earlier, Gilani cancelled his visit to Birmingham over security fears.
Gilani had planned to address PPP supporters at the International Convention Centre on Saturday, Birmingham Mail reported. The “community meeting” was suddenly scrapped for fears of a “serious security breach by protesters”, according to a Pakistani official who helped organise the PM’s UK visit. The official said: “It was left to the High Commission of Pakistan in London to make the necessary security arrangements but it was decided the rally had too many risks attached to it. Any boisterous situation could develop which could be a public relations disaster for the prime minister who is already under a lot of pressure.” News of the cancellation came after Pakistan’s Supreme Court convicted Gilani of contempt for failing to initiate an investigation into allegations of corruption by President Asif Zardari.
The ruling could see Gilani forced to stand down and be disqualified from being a member of parliament for five years. In a 2010 rally at the ICC in Birmingham, President Zardari was attacked by a protester from Coventry who later received a police caution. Birmingham-based opponents of Pakistan People’s Party said they had been planning mass demonstrations outside the ICC but were not aware of any threats to his safety.