The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders said on Thursday that a civilian president always respected the court unlike a dictator.
The PPP leaders said this after former president Asif Zardari appeared before the Accountability Court in hearing of five references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him.
Leader of the opposition in National Assembly (NA) Khursheed Shah said the difference between a civilian president and a dictator was clear now. He said former president Asif Zardari appeared before the court to show his respect for the judiciary. He said a large number of cases have been filed against him and he was facing them since 1997. He said everyone was equal in the eye of law, but appearance before the court showed difference between a political leader and a dictator.
To a question, Shah said former president Pervez Musharraf should face the courts to defend his case as was being done by Zardari.
Former interior minister Rehman Malik said the PPP leadership always respected the courts and obeyed their orders. He said the way PPP had been victimised has no precedence in the history of Pakistan. He said the PPP leaders and workers appeared before courts whenever they were summoned. He said Asif Zardari appeared before the court despite security threats. He said it was unfortunate to compare a dictator with a democratic leader.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, former information minister, said it would be a bad omen if the courts or the government allowed Musharraf to leave the country for treatment. He said the government would be made answerable in that case.
Yousaf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and Senator Farhatullah Babar came to the court along with Zardari.
