Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Thursday said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) had delivered an order on Memogate scandal without hearing the federation.
"The apex court issued order on Memogate without sending any notice and hearing the federation's point of view. How fundamental rights were suspended? One person [former Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani] was not given a chance to explain his point of view on the issue of Memo. He will not leave the country until he clears all the allegations against him," the former Law Minister Babar Awan told a news conference after attending a meeting at Awan-e-Sadr on Thursday.
Federal ministers Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and PPP Central Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present on the occasion. Babar said: "Today, a Parliamentary Committee which represents political forces of both Houses was not allowed to exercise its power while this authority was used at another place. There is only one institution in law, which has the mandate to constitute a Commission. That institution is executive authority [government]. But I want to make it clear; we will not allow anybody to surrender the supremacy of Parliament."
He said the Parliamentary Committee on National Security was having an in-camera meeting today (Friday). According to him, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is going to brief it. "Nobody can govern except those who have been given a mandate by the people of Pakistan," he said. The PPP leadership lambasted the PML-N leadership, particularly Nawaz Sharif, for filing a petition against 'Memogate' scam.
While criticising the PML-N leadership, Babar said: "Mian Nawaz Sharif should not launch attack on democracy while hiding behind a federal institution [Supreme Court]." He said that Nawaz was in exile at the time of dictatorship while the PPP had a legacy of rendering sacrifices for the cause of democracy.
According to him, Nawaz has moved the court to get an elected President declared a traitor. He asked why Nawaz did not file a case against the former dictator General Pervez Musharraf who had toppled his own government on October 12, 1999 and sent him into exile.
He said that Nawaz had not learned from the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and today he was trying to play games as he wants a Bangladesh Model government in Pakistan. According to him, the President is a symbol of federation and all provincial assemblies have passed resolutions in his favour. Asif Ali Zardari is not the name of one person; it is the name of PPP and spiritual son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto," he added. Babar said the elected government of the PPP is not willing to relinquish executive's constitutional supremacy at any cost. According to him, he was himself present in the court, but not given a chance to speak.
He said the SC had asked the government, including the President and the Prime Minister, to file their replies regarding the Memogate scandal. Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Shah said the President and PPP gave recognition to the nation. "The PPP gave recognition to the province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and now it will give recognition to the people of South Punjab," he added. He said: "If the PPP completes its tenure, we will establish a new province and give recognition to Seraiki people."
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