'State within State' not acceptable: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday categorically said that all the State institutions were answerable to the Parliament and there could not be "a State within State".

Responding to a point of order of Leader of the Opposition Ch Nisar Ali Khan regarding reply of the Defence Ministry to the Supreme Court that the Army and the ISI are not subordinate to the ministry, the Prime Minister said, "if the Army considers itself a State within State, then it is unacceptable."

"We will have to come out of this slavery," he said. "If we will remain subordinate to this system, then there is no need of the parliament," he added.

The Prime Minister said the government had made the armed forces accountable to the Parliament. "We have the highest regard for the armed forces and assumed ownership on war on terror and stood shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in difficult times".

He said the government firmly stood with the institutions and fully protected them after the Mumbai incident. "I even sacked Gen (Retd) Mahmood Durrani for giving an irresponsible statement on the issue."

Prime Minister Gilani reiterated that the government fully supported the armed forces on May 2 issue of Osama bin Laden and the NATO attacks at Salala check post in Mohmand Agency.

"The democratic government has always emboldened the image of security forces on all issues," he said. The government always stood by the institutions and realizing the sacrifices of our soldiers for the cause of country, it raised their salaries by hundred percent, he added.

The Prime Minister said he was not criticizing anybody but making it clear that the joint session of the Parliament was convened soon after the May 2 incident to probe how Osama bin Laden managed to live in Pakistan for six years and on which visa he came here.

Referring to the Abbottabad Commission, he said that now the issuance of visas from Washington was being highlighted and the entire responsibility was being shifted towards the civilian government.

About the issue of protection to journalists, the Prime Minister said the government believed in the freedom of expression and fully supported them in discharging their professional responsibilities.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011