ISLAMABAD -The ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and its coalition partners discussed highly volatile situation in the country relating to the apex judiciary and expressed their resolve to safeguard the constitutional organs of the state and frustrate the designs from certain quarters to involve the overall political dispensation in it.
The meeting, held at Awan-e-Sadr and co-chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, discussed matters relating to the relations between the coalition partners, overall political situation in the country, budget matters and the concerns of some coalition partners.
The parliamentary leaders of PML-Q, MQM, BNP-Awami, ANP and FATA had unanimous view that the political government would stay out of the current turmoil-like situation in the apex court. It categorically made it clear that the it had nothing to do with the affair relating to allegations levelled by Malik Riaz against the scion of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Arsalan Iftikhar, and cautioned all those who were trying to establish links of the scam with the government.
The president made it loud and clear that they would not let any negative shadow on the constitutional institutions and take necessary steps to protect these institutions.
The meeting was further decided in the coalition parties meeting that the government would stay away from the whole affair and adopt the policy of wait and see and let the things unfold.
The coalition partners showed concern over the way certain opposition parties portraying a link between the Riaz-Arsalan scam with some conspiracy and tacitly linking it to the PPP leadership.
Sources further said that coalition partners suggested that instead of coming up with some sort of rebuttal in the issue the government would stay away from the whole affair and let the things take due course.
According to the Presidential spokesman, who had underplayed the meeting, said that the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani spoke about the Budget 2012-13 and expressed his gratitude to the coalition partners for extending support to government on the subject. He also referred to some of the concerns of the coalition partners about the budget and promised that the same would be duly incorporated in the finance bill.
The matters relating to the coalition partners with specific reference to the concerns of the MQM regarding the Karachi law and order also came under discussion and both the president and the prime Minister assured that all their genuine concerns would be duly addressed.
The prime minister also took the coalition partners into confidence on his recent Balochistan visit and the strategy to be adopted to tackle the problems in the restive province.
President Asif Ali Zardari also took the coalition partners into confidence about his China visit and his meetings with world leaders on the side-lines of the Shanghai Summit. He also informed the participants that he would soon be undertaking Russia visit and the prospects of expanding relations in diverse fields.
Those who attended the meeting included BNP-Awami President Mir Israr Ullah Zehri, FATA Parliamentary head Munir Orakzai, PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Syed, MQM leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghori, and ANP leaders Afrasiab Khattak and Haji Adeel.