- Zardari takes a U-turn on PPP’s stance, puts weight behind constitutional amendments for formation of military courts
- Dar brings up judicial commission issue only to be snubbed by most politicians
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Friday took a surprising U-turn by backing away from his party’s stance over constitutional amendments for the formation of special military courts to try terrorism cases, sources privy to the happenings of the multi-party parliamentary parties moot told Pakistan Today.
After using PPP’s legal eagles including Aitzaz Ahsan, Farooq Naik and Farhatullah Babar to put pressure on the civil and military leadership during the APC convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the former president and leader of the main opposition party fully backed the government’s proposal for amendments in the constitution and the Army Act 1952.
The sources said that the sudden shift in Zardari’s stance had left Aitzaz, Naik, and Babar high and dry as the three leaders had vehemently opposed constitutional amendments for setting up military courts.
“Speaking on the occasion, Zardari expressed unequivocal support for the government’s proposed draft for the amendments. He said that PPP shared the pain and suffering of those families whose children were massacred in the APS Peshawar attack. He also said that he himself was a victim of terrorist attacks as he had lost his wife, Benazir Bhutto in an assassination by terrorists,” said the sources.
“Now we will go all the way in supporting the amendments for necessary legislation,” the sources quoted Asif Zardari as saying.
The sources said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan also expressed full support to the government’s draft legislation.
“Khan spoke on three different occasions during the APC, stating that the government would have full support from PTI in this regard despite strained relations between the two parties,” the source stated.
According to another source, after Imran Khan had left the table Finance Minister Ishaq Dar made an effort to use the meeting for political point scoring against the PTI, which left a ‘bad taste’ in the mouths of those present from the party.
“When the APC was about to conclude and Imran Khan had left, Ishaq Dar suddenly started reading out the agreement being discussed between the PTI and government for the formation of a judicial commission to probe alleged rigging in last year’s elections. He also got the copies of the draft distributed among the participants and sought their help in settling the matter. It was strange that PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi couldn’t gather courage to stop Dar as the meeting was only dedicated to the military courts,” the source said.
However, Dar was not able to make much headway as the source said that Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq stopped the discussion and asked that the focus remain on the military courts issue.
Later on Dar, along with PPP’s Khursheed Shah, asked the PTI delegation to sit and discuss the draft agreement with the government, however, Shah Mahmood politely said that it was not appropriate to discuss the matter on this forum.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PTI Vice President Naeemul Haq said that it was inappropriate to bring up the issue of judicial commission at a forum which was primarily summoned to discuss terrorism.
“We had participated in the meeting keeping the martyrs of the Peshawar incident in mind but the finance minister’s action took us by surprise. It is not the time to score political points,” he said.
At a point where the issue was about to be put to bed, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman was asked to lead a prayer for the success of the government’s efforts against terrorism. However, in a surprising turn of events Fazl refused to do so stating that his party did not support the draft for amendments in the Military Act.
According to the source, Fazl’s main problem was with the language being used for religious seminaries. The draft was once more amended after some words were changed to satisfy the JUI-F chief.
“Since no major change was proposed in the draft by the Maulana, it seemed that the JUI-F chief had used this opportunity as a bargaining chip and to further his influence over the prime minister,” the source concluded.
Yes. Very tough. TTP are tearing iur country apart bomb by bomb and our leaders in response are chairing committees, and creating military courts to try suicide bombers?!? Great! Very clever. Military courts to try terrorists who want to die. Our leaders deserve medals, seriously!!
As painful as it may be – we need to divide pakistan the way UK seperated ireland. NWFP has become cancerous – give them their sharia state and let them fight and kill each other. Pakistan needs to focus on becoming an economical strength along with its neighbours such as bangladesh, sri lanka and india. This civil war is killing our nation.
Indian deceiver.
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