Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Why are PML (N) so much against the continued democracy in Pakistan. Why are they boycotting NA sessions?

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Govt hits back, sees PML-N ?blackmail?

Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

ISLAMABAD: The government hit hack at the protesting Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) in the National Assembly on Friday in its absence for what it called ‘blackmail’ but offered little defence for governor’s rule in the Punjab province that fuelled the present political confrontation between Pakistan’s two main political parties.

Amid continuing mediation efforts by two allies of the PPP-led coalition government turned peace-makers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan accused PML-N leaders —former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif —of seeking a Mugal-style rule in the country’s most populous province where the governor’s rule imposed by Presdident Asif Ali Zardari on Feb 25 dissolved an 1l-month-old PML-N government after a Supreme Court ruling disqualified the two Sharif brothers from holding any elective public office.

The PML-N boycotted the entire eighth day’s sitting of the present session, sparing the minister any interruption of an oratorical lambaste of the Sharif brothers for a perceived persecution of assassinated PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and attacks on judiciary during their two short-lived stints in power in the 1990s.

But Mr Awan appeared avoiding a defence of the present governor’s rule in Punjab as he wound up the debate over the situation created by presidential action, though he said it was wrong to say that it was only the PPP which resorted to such a course because provinces had been put under prolonged governor’s rule by military rulers.

However, the minister assured the house that the PPP would accept a new PML-N government in Punjab if the party, which emerged as the single largest group in the provincial assembly in the Feb 18, 2008 general election, proved its majority there and asked: ‘Can anyone make them say that they too will accept (the result) if they failed.’

He branded the PML-N public protests to fuel the worst political crisis of the 11-month-old government and the party’s decision to join a planned lawyers’ ‘long mach’ on Islamabad as ‘blackmail’ which he said the Pakistan People’s Party would not submit to.

‘We were never blackmailed in history nor will we be blackmailed in the future,’ Mr Awan said, urging the PML-N to desist from joining what he called a ‘wrong march’ and seek solution of problems inside parliament.

The minister, who took the floor shortly after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani left the house after a brief presence, called for parliament’s support to the government and said the situation ‘will be all right in a few days’ though it might not please ‘those who want Mugal-style rule of princes in Pakistan’.

Apparently referring to the main demand of lawyers as well as of the PML-N for the restoration of all superior court judges sacked by former military president Pervez Musharraf, the minister said the government would protect all institutions from being compromised, whether it be the armed forces, law-enforcement agencies or the judiciary.

Earlier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sherry Rehman persuaded journalists to end their protest walkouts from the press galleries of the National Assembly and the Senate by offering an apology in the lower house for some allegedly derogatory remarks used by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer about the media when he addressed a news conference in Lahore on Thursday about Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers.

The journalists objected to the governor’s reported remarks that compared the role of anchorpersons and analysts appearing on private television channels to criticise the government’s conduct to ‘frogs surfacing in the rainy season’ and accused them of propagating the Indian point of view.

‘I apologise on behalf of the government,’ Ms Rehman told the house and said the government had no plans to restrict press freedom, which she acknowledged the journalists had won through a prolonged struggle.

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

If Retd CJ Iftikar is ever reinstate. I would be sitting in front of his house with this manner until he resign.

:If I kill your daughter would you forgive me, Why should I forgive you for killing my country's constitution"

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

^ For that, you need to go sit infront of the Army House, where Musharraf enjoys his daily dosage of scotch these days, for hes the one who killed the country's constitution.

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

^ Looks like you are seeing scotch in your dreams.

I dont know if any leader drinks scotch, but even they do, it does not bother me, as long as they do their job they are elected for.

scotch is not a big deal. I am sure Obama may have it once in a while, but I have not seen many leaders of his calibre.

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Firstly, its interesting how how you came to defend his unislamic practice, without ignoring the crux of the point I made, him raping the constitution and selling out the country. Secondly, what job is that retard, I mean retired general doing sitting in the army house?

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

N$ knew that he could never rule countary without help of army so he is trying to offer them to come.
Do you know why ?
Only count his senate seats, He has no chance in next 6 **years for a simple majority in Senate.
He has no chance in **3 of 4 provinces of Pakistan
In Punjab he is a minority leader ( see 18th Feb 2008 results)
So he needs his Father(Zia) back.

Pakistan v India - 3rd ODI
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In case you forgot ..... EX-PRESIDENT of Pakistan !!!!!!!!!!

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

^ since you're an indian and the only interest in your life is obsession with pakistan, do you see atal biharikabab vajpayee, who by the way is an elected PM or that creature abul kalaam staying for years after leaving office, in the army house?

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Sharif brothers should be encouraging their party to follow democracy and return to the National Assembly, rather than provoking anarchy and chaos in Pakistan by taking to the streets. :frowning:

DAWN.COM | ? Punjab | Decision will now be made on streets

Decision will now be made on the streets: Nawaz

LAHORE: Signalling an end to the ongoing back channel mediation and reconciliation efforts between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Nawaz Sharif made it known on Friday that from now on he would do politics of confrontation as the city observed a complete shutter-down strike.

‘We’ve seen elections (as the results could not settle the issue of deposed judges) and decisions will now be made on streets,’ he told a rally, one of the biggest in the history of the city, held to protest disqualification of Nawaz and brother Shahbaz Sharif by the Supreme Court.

Late arrival of the central leadership disappointed many activists who had been waiting in the sun since midday. Some left the venue without hearing the Sharifs.

Strict security measures were made for the rally as The Mall had been declared a no-go area for motorists since noon, while pedestrians were either frisked or made to walk through security gates erected on some entry points.
Around 3,500 policemen were deployed along the route while personal guards of the Sharifs were manning the bullet-proof stage.

Urging the participants to join the long march and sit-in in Islamabad with equal enthusiasm, Nawaz said their sacrifice of a few days time could change the destination of the country.

He asserted that participants of the march on Islamabad would play a decisive role.

Again accusing President Zardari of deception and backing out of promises, he said if voted to power, the PML-N would not reciprocate it.

Referring to the PPP co-chairman’s remarks that though being unfortunate, the disqualification verdict carried legal weight, Nawaz asked if Zardari would term PPP founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hanging on a disputed judicial decision in the same words.

Recalling that the late Bhutto had been sentenced to death on Ahmad Raza Kasuri’s FIR, he regretted that Kasuri was now a counsel for President Zardari.
He lamented that the people supposed to be democrats were now hatching conspiracies against democracy.

Continuing his attempts of creating a difference between the ‘Zardari group’ and the ‘real’ PPP, he advised the president to consult the PPP before taking important decisions.

Earlier, Shahbaz also came hard on President Zardari and adviser to PM on interior Rehman Malik.

He said on one hand the PPP was talking of a dialogue and on the other it was indulging in horse trading.

He alleged that Malik withdrew Rs500 million from the exchequer for horse trading in Punjab.

All major markets and business centres in Lahore remained closed on Friday on the call of the PML-N, while other parts of the province responded with a scattered strike.

Lahore wore a deserted look for the most of the day as all major associations of traders and shopkeepers – Qaumi Tajir Ithad or National Traders Association, Anjuman-i-Tajran and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry – had appealed for the strike, making the success of the call was more of foregone conclusion.

A partial strike was observed in Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur and Muzaffargarh while Multan and Mianwali responded fully to the call where Friday is observed a weekly day off.

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This is what you get when you let criminals off the hook i.e. NS pardoned and exiled in 1999, Zardari and other criminals pardoned in 2007 NRO, thanks to you know who ;)

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Ehtasab bhaijan. I am grateful to you for raising a very important subject of NRO. In order to do justice to this important subject matter that you bring up, it should be discussed in a thread of its own, rather than a thread about Sharif brothers that are stopping PML Nawaz MNA’s from attending NA sessions - thus depriving millions of people that had democratically voted for them as their representative in the National Assembly from representing them. Do Sharif brothers not believe in the sanctity of democratically elected Parliament and democracy?

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I know NRO is a separate subject, my point is that all these evils/devils escaped by the (in)famous ordinance. Had we any respect for law and justice we wouldn't have seen this day where one criminal is outdoing another criminal, ironically one criminal supports "chief justice" while one is running away from the same.

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ehtasab bhaijan. NRO is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I guess we are indeed diverting from the topic of why Sharif brothers are against the democratic process, and stopping PML Nawaz MNA's from attending National Assembly sessions, for which they have been elected by the people of Pakistan? Do the Sharif brothers not belive in the sanctity of democratic process and the elected Parliament?

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

^ democratic process with president over-riding assemblies and elected assembly of Punjab over-ruled by Punjab governor?

In our parliamentary system, the president is a figure-head representing federation and not a particular party. The prime minister said that he is against 'governor rule' and no body listens to him! In a parliamentary system, the prime minister is the chief executive and not the president.

PPP went into elections with a promise to restore judiciary. It would have done so if we had a democratic process!

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

Bet they all drink...not just Mr Ex President!

Well probably "ameer ul momineen" doesnt!

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Don't expect him to understand all that, he thinks NRO is best thing. Some people appreciate only anti-Pakistan steps taken by corrupt govt officials.

Timepass-Jan 2013
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Yaar, it was the High Court that gave a verdict on Sharif brothers eligibility. It has nothing to do with the democratically elected President, Great Zardari, or the democratically elected PPP government. The PPP government is only trying to clear the Anarchy and Chaos being caused by Sharif brothers as they have refused to accept the court's verdict. So back to the point, why are Sharif brothers stopping PML Nawaz MNA’s from attending NA sessions - thus depriving millions of people that had democratically voted for them as their representative in the National Assembly from representing them. Do Sharif brothers not believe in the sanctity of democratically elected Parliament and democracy?

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The nation of Pakistan seems to disagree with you. Come on, I know you're still sore from how Musharraf went from hero to zero, but who are you kidding!

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Re: Govt hits back, sees PML-N ‘blackmail’

All: It has nothing to do with NS not agreeing to Dogar’s job extension. :chai:

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I am not talking about ineligibility. The constitution was over-ruled by the governor rule. We have a 'democratically elected' Punjab Assembly which could 'democratically elect' another chief minister. Please let me know who violated the sanctity of Punjab Assembly and thus deprived millions of people who voted for the MPAs from representing them?

For attending NA sessions, I am sure it is of no use, as long as the decisions are being made in the presidency and the prime minister is a mere puppet!