PM seeks to address concerns over memo controversy. We'll look towards people if there's any threat to govt

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Thursday boycotted the ongoing session of the National Assembly in protest against what it said government's failure to give a satisfactory reply in response to Memo controversy while Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani assured the House that the government would conduct a high-level impartial inquiry and submit its report to the Parliament.

The Prime Minister said the army, the ISI and the government were on the same page. "If there is any threat to the government, we will look towards the masses instead of the army," the Prime Minister said. "There is no need of any support. We will be answerable to the people of Pakistan. We will go to the people when the election would come," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan raised four questions on the issue of Memo on the floor of the House. He asked: "Why did Pakistan Ambassador to the US tender resignation? Why didn't the government approach the Parliament to take a decision on the issue instead of the President, the Prime Minister, the Army Chief and other institutions. What about the statement of the Defence Minister in which he had said that if anybody would be found involved in it then the matter could land on the Prime Minister's doorstep. This matter is not over with the resignation of the Ambassador, but it is the beginning. We should be informed who is conducting the inquiry and what type of inquiry it is."

The Prime Minister said he had explained the matter several times on the floor of the House. "We took resignation of the Ambassador to conduct a high-level impartial inquiry on the issue and to give a fair chance to all the stakeholders," he said.

About the statement of the Defence Minister, Gilani said the Minister meant that if there was a need of an inquiry on the issue then the matter would go to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said he did not want to entertain anymore talk on the issue because the matter was sub judice.

The Prime Minister made it clear that the meeting on the Memo issue was held at the Prime Minister's Secretariat instead of the Presidency.

He said that if the government wanted to give any message to the US, he himself could give this message because he enjoyed good relations with the Obama administration. According to him, Haqqani too has good relations with the US and he himself could deliver a letter to the American government.

Nisar claimed that a decision was taken on Memo issue on the threats of the Army Chief and the DG ISI. It was a very serious national issue, but the government did not take it seriously. The resignation of Haqqani will have serious consequences. If Haqqani was not guilty, he would never have resigned, he said.

The Opposition leader said that the President and the Prime Minister were not answerable to the Army Chief and the DG ISI but to the Parliament. He added that institutions of national security were also answerable to the Parliament.  The Opposition Leader said that his party has filed a petition in the Supreme Court on the Memo issue as "Parliament has become rubber stamp."

Responding to the Opposition, Federal Minister Khursheed Shah said that the government was not answerable to any Army General, but he was the army chief answerable to the Parliament.

Instead of giving Parliament importance, the Opposition has moved the apex court, Shah said, adding that a transparent report would be presented to the Parliament without any "ifs and buts."  The Opposition Leader and Chief Whip of PPP exchanged allegations and counter-allegations during the entire proceedings of the Lower House.

The Opposition Leader was of the view that sitting in this House is wastage of time and meaningless.  Afterwards, PML-N walked out of the House and boycotted further proceeding of the ongoing session.