Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that the second-time removal of the prime minister by the judiciary would be “tantamount to the breaking up of Pakistan”.
The Supreme Court has been asking the executive to implement its verdict on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case. It disqualified Gilani from the top government office as well as his membership in the central legislature, after his refusal to implement court orders.
His successor, Raja Pervez Ashraf, is facing the apex court on the issue of his willingness to implement the NRO verdict, which includes writing a letter to the Swiss authorities for reopening graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, who is accused of amassing billions in overseas bank accounts. While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Gilani said the democratic system should continue to work, as it was being run by “elected representatives and an elected parliament”. He said the removal of the prime minister would initiate a new tradition, adding that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government was talking about “fair‚ free and impartial elections”. He threw the blame on judiciary for removing the prime minister through an “unconstitutional step”, which he said was tantamount to the breaking up of the country. Gilani said that elections and the democratic process was unnecessary if elected prime ministers were being sent back to their homes. The former premier also claimed that he had “safeguarded the constitution” by not writing the letter to the Swiss authorities.
Gilani finds PM’s removal similar to country’s break up
