Prime Minister accuses establishment of conspiring to unseat government

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani used two platforms - the National Assembly as well as a private function on Thursday - to accuse the establishment of conspiring to unseat his government.
This is perhaps the first frontal attack that the prime minister launched against the military establishment, a stance that contrasted dramatically from his meeting with the Chief of Army Staff six days ago when the President Asif Ali Zardari was still in Dubai, ostensibly recovering from his sojourn in the American Hospital.
This almost a hundred and eighty-degree turnaround in the normally unruffled and calm exterior that the prime minister usually projects that the President's physical presence in the country made all the difference. The question whether the large and often unwieldy coalition, constantly threatened by demands by the smaller coalition partners, would stand by a government that has taken on what many believe in this country is the power behind the power or as the Prime Minister said in his speech 'a state within a state'.
The ANP, which has always been there to support the government, expressed its full support for the prime minister while some members of MQM just kept on listening to the prime minister speech in National Assembly. However, it is the second largest party in the parliament, the PML (N) that the government would be compelled to rely on to ensure that the establishment does not manipulate as a viable alternate government. During the prime minister's speech, some PML-N lawmakers thumbed the desk - may be to remind the beleaguered Prime Minister that 'they are still friendly opposition'?
The prime minster, who had earlier left no stone unturned in defending the military after May 2 Abbottabad incident in which Osama bin Laden was killed, and today on the floor of the house, it was none other than Mr Prime Minster, who, without mentioning the army, raised the question as to who had issued visas to Osama.
The abrupt change in Prime Minister's stance ostensibly against the establishment, whom he used to claim of being on the same page with the government on all issues, was a clear reflection of a confrontation, for the first time between the two organs of the state and threat to the existence of the Gilani-led regime.
According to political commentators, Gilani's Thursday's outburst made it clear that his party has realised that the time has come to stand up and fight for its survival in the name of democracy or to save the 'system'. However, this remains a big question whether they would become a political martyr in the face of their performance during the last four years.
So sudden anger on Gilani's part to stand up against the establishment especially the army and that too all of a sudden was hard to believe. Is it because the government has become disappointed after hectic efforts and attempts to convince the army that it was nothing do to with the memo scandal. Clearly, the army seems convinced that submitted in the Apex Court that memo is a reality and threat to the national security of the country and needed a thorough probe. Regardless of his reasons, Gilani regime faces a major hurdle - the Army. Despite government claims of having friendly relations with the Army, insider sources report that Pakistan Army is no more on government side after memo-gate scandal and is willing to go to bat for a political change, especially against the likes of Zardari.