ISLAMABAD - The core committee of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday discussed threadbare the memo controversy and the fresh reply filed in this connection by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervaz Kayani in the apex court and it was the consensus view of the leadership that they would stand firm on their declared stance on the issue.
While a PM House spokesman denied any formal meeting of the core committee, however, sources aware of the development confirmed to The Nation that senior party leaders gathered at the PM’s House.
Besides discussing the prevailing political situation in the country, the PPP leaders took briefing from the Attorney General of Pakistan on the fresh reply of the army chief submitted in the court and its legal implications, the sources added.
It was decided in the meeting that the federation would stand by its reply filed with the apex court in connection with the memo controversy and they would defend their position in the apex court.
The sources further said that the hawks in the party were of the view that the government would stick to its point that when the matter was already taken up for examination by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security then the matter should not have been taken up by the apex court.
The sources in the party informed that the issue of president’s reply also came under discussion and legal opinion of the Attorney General was sought in this connection.
However, the meeting remained indecisive on the matter of filing or otherwise of a reply from the president.
The sources further said that the final word on the filing or otherwise of the reply of President Zardari would be decided after the decision of the apex court on the matter of maintainability of the case and the government would come up with arguments that the case could not be maintained as the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had already taken it up and all should wait for the final word of the committee on the subject.
In another major development, President Zardari reached the federal capital from Karachi and another session of select party leaders mainly the legal wizards of the party was likely to take place at Presidency to brief the President on the subject.
Monitoring Desk adds: According to private TV channels, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani summoned the meeting of the leaders of the core committee at the PM’s House for an important meeting. The meeting discussed the memo issue.