KHI 18-03-2012_Layout 1 3/18/2012 2:37 AM Page 1
rs22.00 Vol ii no 260 22 pages Karachi edition
sunday, 18 March, 2012 rabi-ul-sani 24, 1433
Now parliament is in the driving seat: president Zardari says parliamentary oversight, democratic accountability new facet of Pakistan’s foreign policy g Praises prime minister’s ‘political wisdom’ g
ISLAMABAD
ISLaMaBaD: president asif Zardari talks to the military leadership after the joint parliamentary session on Saturday. InP
Zardari, Haqqani wanted to subjugate Army, ISI: Ijaz ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Sticking to his previous statements and stance on the memo controversy, Mansoor Ijaz Saturday said that President Zardari and Husain Haqqani wanted to subjugate the Pakistan Army and InterServices Intelligence. Though the statement from the star witness came in response to a question put by Haqqani’s counsel Zahid Bukhari during cross-examination but the latter could hardly digest it and insisted that the reply should not be made part of the record
which led to a legal debate on the issue. The question that Bukhari put was whether he (Ijaz) prepared the memo to create conflict between the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan. After hearing the reply from Ijaz, which directly hit his client, Husain Haqqani and President Zardari, Bukhari said that creation of conflict is not under question but the memo, adding the reply should not be recorded. However, chairman of the memo commission Justice Qazi Faez Isa said: “We are not asking you to ask such questions… we are repeatedly asking you not to ask such questions. If you ask, the
reply will come in all its entirety”. Addressing Bukhari, he further observed: You are doing so at your own risk”. As Bukhari insisted to withdraw the question, Justice Musheer Alam said: “Can a person ask for withdrawal (of question) after the answer has come”. Justice Isa said the counsel cannot say that he did not like the answer and don’t want to record it. “You cannot have it both the ways. You can ask the question but after hearing the reply, cannot say I don’t like the answer and don’t record it”. Continued on page 04
R
Staff RepoRt
eCounTIng the achievements of the government, President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday showered praise on the embattled Prime Minister Yousaf Raza gilani, lauding his political sagacity for skilfully managing the crises confronting the ruling coalition over the last four years. “Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza gilani deserves our unqualified appreciation for his political wisdom in handling various challenges with courage and perseverance,” Zardari said amidst bench-thumping by the treasury members, while acknowledging gilani’s loyalty to him and the Pakistan People’s Party (PP) for refusing to write a letter to Swiss authorities, and accepting to go to jail for contempt of court. Spelling out his vision about the country’s foreign policy, Zardari said the parliamentary oversight and democratic accountability was a new and important facet of Pakistan’s foreign policy, and the government was committed to maintain its bilateral relations with all countries
on the principles of mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and equality. “We fully support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process in Afghanistan… Important steps have been taken to open up trade between India and Pakistan. But we must also address difficult issues including that of Jammu and Kashmir dispute ... Pakistan and China have a unique relationship which is deeply rooted and mutually beneficial. My eight visits to China are a manifestation of taking this relationship to new heights,” he said. Continued on page 04
related stories | page 04