Govt to bat for Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced to file appeal with Supreme Court (SC) against the disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif by Lahore High Court (LHC).

The Prime Minister said this on Tuesday during the National Assembly's budget session.

"Supreme Court will be requested in the appeal to stay the by-elections in NA-123 till the appeal plea is decided," the Premier told the National Assembly. He said, "Such decisions should not be taken, as they make people lose their confidence in the institutions."

"I have talked to PML-N leadership and have also consulted Law Minister and Advisor on Interior and we are going to file appeal in SC. Through the appeal plea, we will also pray the SC to stay the by-elections till the decision of appeal plea", he stated.

The Prime Minister said that he had assured PML-N Quaid that the PPP was with him. "The verdict has hurt the feelings of PML-N leadership and workers and we equally share their sentiments," he said. He said that PPP and PML-N leadership had signed Charter of Democracy and according to which both the parties would respect each other's mandate.

Responding to fiery speeches delivered by PML-N parliamentarians at the floor of the House, Federal Minister for Law Farooq H Naek said the LHC verdict that had disqualified Nawaz Sharif from contesting by-elections would be challenged in the SC. He said the PPP was not protecting the PCO judges and that the petition against the verdict had been formed and soon would be filed in SC. "We are wrongly being accused of supporting the PCO judges and this verdict should be taken as accordance to law and the Constitution," the Law Minister noted. He said if anyone was thinking that the judges' issue could be settled in one hour, the one was wrong and the PPP would settle the issue in accordance to the law and Constitution.

Meanwhile, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on a point of order complained about the blockades erected on Constitution Avenue saying that not only the common man but also the lawmakers were being disallowed to cross them.

Syed Khurshid Shah endorsed the Chief Whip of the Opposition and said such administrative steps had indeed created problems for the people. Later, the NA Speaker directed the Chief Whip of the ruling party to inform her about the matter so that appropriate action might be taken.

During the session, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded the convening of In-Camera Session of the House over situation in tribal areas and NWFP. He said that the government had no writ in the tribal and several areas of NWFP. He further said that the government was not taking the situation seriously in NWFP especially in the tribal areas and In-Camera session was needed to clear the situation.

He stated that IG NWFP and people were saying that Taliban were ruling in Jandola, Dera, Bannu, Peshawar, Malakand, Charsadda, Mardan, Swat and other areas which was reflecting the intensity of the situation. Condemning the threats of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the JUI-F Chief stated that the government should response to Karzai's threats, adding that the tribal people would support troops of Pakistan Army. He vehemently criticised over the announcement of revocation of death sentence by the Prime Minister and opined that such steps would weaken the coalition government.

Fazl said that the President and the Prime Minister had no right to formulate any law against Islam and such controversial announcement would only open another Pandora's box.

Federal Minister for Law Farooq H Naek while clarifying the position informed the House that the government had only suggested and the decision regarding converting of death sentence into life imprisonment would be taken by the President.

Minister for Commerce Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar informed the National Assembly that all subsidies, which the government was providing on various items, would go by the end of the year. Speaking on a Calling Attention Notice in the National Assembly, he said subsidies on gas and electricity were being gradually removed and the people would have to learn to live without subsidies. The government, he added, did not have surplus funds for the energy sector. He expressed concern over import of raw material in the country and said over one billion dollars were spent on the import of cotton.

Agencies adds: Law Minister Farooq Naek said the challenge would be filed on Wednesday (today).

The government's move was apparently aimed at consolidating the shaky coalition between Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan People's Party, which together beat Musharraf's allies in elections in February.

The two parties are at odds over the possible impeachment of President Musharraf and over the coalition's failure to honour its vow to restore judges sacked by the President during a state of emergency in November.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will file an appeal in the Supreme Court today (Wednesday) against the Lahore High Court decision disqualifying Mian Nawaz Sharif from contesting the June 26 by election, Deputy Attorney General Raja Abdul Rehman said Tuesday.

The DAG told mediamen, the competent authority wanted that the appeal be filed Tuesday but procedural formalities including the provision of attested copies of the decision had to be completed.

He said the government had taken a firm stand before the Lahore High Court that Mian Nawaz Sharif was a qualified candidate and the petitions filed against his candidature were malafide.

The DAG said the government would request the apex court to suspend the

decision of the Lahore High Court and postpone the bye-election in the relevant constituency till a final verdict.