President's press talk

President Musharraf met senior journalists of the electronic media at Islamabad on Saturday after a prolonged gap of about three months and answered questions on different issues of relevance to the current political and economic situation in the country, issues that have gripped the minds of both political leaders and the public and continued to generate the demand that he leave his office. He said certain things that the people wanted to hear like his firm belief not to use 58-2(b) to dismiss the Parliament since "I am not mentally unstable" to think of aggravating the stormy climate Pakistan was weathering at present; his commitment to abide by every decision of the Parliament that he called "supreme"; and the renewal of his support to the Prime Minister and his government. Interestingly, like Mr Zardari he left the decision to restore the judges to the Parliament, knowing full well that it was not in a position to do that. Similarly to the question of impeachment, he simply replied that the Constitution had laid down the required procedure. And taking shelter behind the country's worsening situation, he maintained, he would not resign and dismissed as baseless rumours to that effect. At least about the flurry of reports of his 'impending' resignation and departure from Pakistan aboard 'a plane that had already landed at Islamabad', he was not wrong. That should serve to remind the journalist community that the fundamental logic behind the freedom of press was responsible and credible reporting and not kite flying.