Zardari comes under fire in Senate

Criticizing the speeches made by President Asif Ali Zardari publicly, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) senators said being president, Asif Ali Zardari was not only a supreme commander of Pak Army but also a symbol of unity among the state institutions but his biased speeches faded out the dignity of Presidentship.
Participating in debate during Senate session, which was chaired by Chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, PML-N Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s speeches depicted that he was a representative of PPP’s workers only as Asif Ali Zardari clearly stated that next provincial governments in all four provinces would be setup with his consent only.
Democratic system could not run smoothly following the prejudice mind-set of the supreme commander and people were forced to knock the door of judiciary against oppressive approach of the rulers, he added.
“President of Pakistan should be impartial and represent the country and not his party and should never pass any statement which might spread anxiety”, Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah said.
He added that Asif Ali Zardari’s statements during public address pertaining to next provincial governments and appointment of Raja Pervez Ashraf as prime minister after the disqualification of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani speaks volume of his credibility as a president.
Highlighting ambiguities in the country’s foreign and economic policy, he said the government failed to give explanation about the foreign policy since last four and a half years and ineligible people had been running the country’s finical affairs, who were deputed by former president Pervez Musharraf and the incumbent government adopted the same course of its predecessor.
He said the government failed to provide relief to the masses amid skyrocketing hike in daily commodities as the government had utilized its all means in confrontation with the Apex Judiciary despite solving public problems, including load shedding, deteriorating law and order situations.
“If we do not respect the constitution today, the door will open for any dictator to derail democratic system of the country”, he added.
Taking part in the debate, PML-N Senator Hamza challenged President Asif Ali Zardari to declare their assets publicly adding that President Asif Ali Zardari himself was a big problem.
He said that Yousuaf Raza Gilani was sent home by the SC on refusing to write a letter to Swiss authority to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and current prime minister was repeating the same mistake by saying that he would not write the letter.
He added that country’s economy was at the edge of disaster but still the incumbent government did not learn from the past.
“This Senate session was summoned to take oath of Senator Rehman Malik as he once again occupied the seat of Interior minister but the law and order in the country is still in worst condition, people are being killed in target killing in Quetta and Karachi”, he said.
He added that thousands of people were killed in the drone attack but the incumbent government failed to take concrete measure in this regard despite issuance of statements against the attack. He said that the US president paid condolence visit to the houses, if even eighteen people were killed in his country, he added.
Meanwhile, leader of the house, Senator Jehangir Badar encouraged the treasury and opposition’s benches to participate in the debate about the president of Pakistan, saying the opposition targeted the president only, instead of taking part in the debate.
He said that President Asif Ali Zardari had assured in his speeches that the next general elections would be held transparently adding that the PPP never violated the democratic traditions and the party had given sacrifices for the stability of democracy in the country.