Government reacts to reference seeking Prime Minister's disqualification

A panicking government reacts strongly after a charged opposition seeks the disqualification of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on corruption allegations. A threat of legal action was the first response came from three ministers lined up at a news conference here on Thursday to defend Shaukat Aziz.
As many as 31 MPs from all major opposition parties earlier in the day filed with the speaker National Assembly a reference that sought to cease Shaukat Aziz's parliament membership. "This (reference) is factually incorrect. The government reserves the right to initiate legal proceedings against those who have signed it," said Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani.
Opposition members alleged that the prime minister had used his office for personal gains to benefit his friends. According to the United Nations, this is the exact definition of corruption.
Pakistan Constitution says a dishonest person can not remain a parliamentarian. "He is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest and Ameen," Article 62 lays down the eligibility criterion for either the National Assembly or the Senate member.
Opposition parties blamed Aziz and his close aides caused a stock market crash in early 2005 that deprived small investors of Rs 112 billion at the hands of manipulators. Their reference also questioned transparency in a last year privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills.
The Supreme Court later annulled the deal after it smelled corruption. But Durrani said the opposition was wrongfully playing up these issues for political mileage. "There are two issues (in the reference). One is in the court and other...Pakistan stock market is an example for the world today."
Privatisation Minister Zahid Hamid also supplemented the defence and said: "There are factual and legal errors in the reference. The Supreme Court verdict in the Steel Mill sell-off case can not become base for the disqualification (of Shaukat)."
The Supreme Court in his last year landmark judgement used the word 'an unholy haste' to describe the way the government tried to sell the Steel Mill. Opposition blames a close friend of Shaukat Aziz was part of the syndicate that bought the country's premier steel production unit. The same Karachi-based businessman is also being named as instrumental in the stock market crash.
But Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan said neither the prime minister himself nor any of his aides were behind the crash. "The reference is an intellectual dishonesty. It's not tolerable. I was surprised by reading it. It's total fiction and there is no reality in it."
Durrani said the government would not force National Assembly (NA) Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to dump the reference. The Speaker, if desires, can send any such disqualification reference to the Election Commission within a month under the Constitution. The Election Commission then gives the verdict within 90 days.
The reference came at the time when the country is passing through a political turmoil with a judicial crisis lingering on for fourth month running.
Lawyers and a middle majority are demonstrating on roads after President Pervez Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on March 9 this year. A counsel for federation in the chief justice removal case last month said Shaukat Aziz would have to go if the case was decided in favour of Iftikhar Chaudhry because he advised the President to remove the top judge.
There are already rumours that 'hidden forces' of Pakistan long-winded politics have started playing their games. Rumours do not take long to become realities in Pakistan.