'N'-MQM spat mars Assembly session

ISLAMABAD - Tacitly denying the trial of General (r) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had time and again said that democracy was the best revenge, adding quickly that he (Gilani) would be the first person to support the trial of former president if National Assembly unanimously demanded so.
Talking on the floor of the Lower House, Prime Minister Gilani said that his party chairman Bilawal had already stated in the meeting of Central Working Committee that PPP had taken revenge from Musharraf by establishing democratic rule in the country. “We have taken revenge from General (r) Musharraf through democracy and now it is our responsibility to help flourish the democratic process in the country,” the Premier quoted Bilawal.
Gilani said that he had remained behind the bars for over five years but when he became the Prime Minister, he in his maiden speech in the National Assembly forgave all those who had sent him to jail. He said the judiciary had played its role and now the ball was in the court of the Parliament. “In spite of the statement of the PPP Chairperson if a resolution is presented with consensus for the trial of Musharraf, I will be the first person to support it,” he said.
He said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, he became Prime Minister with consensus of all political parties including PML-N, ANP, MQM, JUI-F and PML-Q. “These parties had given me vote of confidence and the whole House elected me unanimously. Now it is my responsibility to take all of them into confidence in this regard,” he said. He urged all the parties to strengthen democracy in the country.
APP adds: "Now for me, it is obligatory to take all the partners into confidence (on the issue)", he said and added the Leader of the Opposition will also endorse me on the view that any single party in the House did not have the required majority to gest this resolution passed.
"Our position is also strong because all of you. Any single party cannot get the resolution approved from the House."
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) parliamentarians traded harsh words on the floor of the Lower House Wednesday evening and at some point it seemed that the House had turned into fish market as members were not ready to listen to the Speaker’s request for calm and peace.