Kaira hopes sense will prevail, stalemate will end

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday said he hoped sense will prevail and the stalemate between the executive and the judiciary will end.
Speaking in a TV talk show, Kaira rejected the notion that the system was under any threat, saying, “What threat? If you talk of a military coup, I must say the military has learnt a lot from the past. Their role has been positive in the whole of our tenure. They held themselves accountable to parliament for the first time.”
He said the government respected the courts and “we think there is no reason for a collision. We restored the constitution in its best possible form and if improvement is needed it can be done with consensus.”
“It is the constitution that explains that the letter cannot be written since the president is in the office,” he said and added, “We have repeatedly stated our position on the issue of writing the letter and that is that the president has exemption under Article 248.”
To another question regarding the president’s running the party affairs, Kaira said the office of the president was an elected office. “If the president guides the government and consults the prime minister and the ministers for betterment what is bad about it?
He dispelled the impression that the government was disobeying the courts and questioned, “Tell me which decision was disobeyed. For the first time in the history a unanimously-elected prime minister was sent home and we accepted the decision. Parliament’s law had been struck down and we accepted and decided to go into appeal.”
To a question about the solution to the present situation, he said the solution was also known to the courts. “We hope that there is some way out. We should hope for good. Despondency cannot lead to betterment.”
Kaira categorically stated that the government was not in confrontation with the judiciary. But, an atmosphere had been created by different individual acts.
The minister said parts of the laws which were considered against the constitution could be annulled but could not be struck down in totality.
“Parliament should not be undermined. Politicians are blamed that they lack the capacity to deliver but it should be known that those, who are blamed for it, were guided by the hidden hands.”
“If parliament fails to deliver, it has to better its performance itself. Parliament also has the right to explain the constitution. Can any law be struck down only because that its some portions are objectionable?”
He said, “parliament is well aware about the laws its frames. The people may comment on that for the sake of controversy but undermining the powers of the Parliament is not right. Annulling any law absolutely is disappointing for me.”
To a question about the press conference of Faisal Raza Abidi, the minister said the approach of an individual could not be described as the approach of a party. “We are a democratic party where people also have individual opinions as manifested during the legislation in the Senate when Aitzaz Ahsan and Raza Rabbani expressed reservations on a bill.”
Asked about the conduct of the courts, the minister said he did not want to comment on the conduct of institutions.
He said if there was any discrepancy in the executive, only the executive had to mend it. “We do not say we have not committed follies. We are also human beings and some times have to make decisions under compulsions. But, these decisions are commented out of context.”
Asked about any flexibility on part of the government, Kaira said the government showed flexibility and accepted the decision. “Even in the contempt of court law decision, we have decided to go into appeal. We desire a solution and hope something better. The government is fulfilling its duties under the Constitution as it did lead by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.”