ISLAMABAD - The majority of political parties on Wednesday in the Senate were affirmative in allowing the ailing former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to return to the country, but opposed any idea of giving him a state protocol.
As the family of former president has already said that it was unlikely that Musharraf would recover from his ailment, some treasury lawmakers at the same time said that this would not be acceptable for them if a “state burial” was given to the ex-ruler of the country in case he succumbed to his disease.
The opposition PTI demanded that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif should also return home to face corruption cases against him.
The remarks of the senators came a day after Sharif asked the government to facilitate the return, if he wants, of the former military ruler from UAE. Before this, another senior leader of PML-N had hinted that the government was willing to allow him to return.
A day earlier, military spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar had said that the institution and its leadership have the stance that former chief of army staff Musharraf should come back.
At the outset of the sitting, Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed opposed the statement of former prime minister Sharif that Musharraf should be facilitated to come back due to his illness.
He said that there could be forgiveness if there was enmity only between Musharraf and Sharif but the matter was collective in nature. “He (Musharraf) remained master of black and white of the country for 10 years and his crimes are as big as Himalayas,” he said, adding that these crimes could not be forgiven. He said that the former ruler not only violated the Constitution twice, but also attacked the judiciary and “a sitting chief justice was dragged by hair.”
Senator Ahmed said that all citizens were equal before law and he should be brought back to face law and to give answers for his crimes. He also demanded Sharif to come back to the country and face the law. “If you are facilitating Musharraf, then open the jails, shut down the courts, and wrap up the parliament,” he said.
Most lawmakers do not approve giving state burial to a person convicted under Article 6 of Constitution
On this, Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani remarked that Musharraf was the citizen of the country and he should be allowed to come back due to his poor health.
Responding to the reservations of JI lawmaker, former prime minister and PPP leader Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani said that these decisions would not be taken by them but somewhere else. “Whether you were able to stop him (Musharraf) when he went abroad, and can you stop him when he will return,” he said adding that this was futile exercise.
PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary also supported the idea of return of Musharraf but added that the country and its institutions and citizens would have to work under law, Constitution and some code of conduct. He said that law should take its course and former premier Sharif should also return to the country and face the courts. “The law should be equal for all.”
Former chairman Senate and PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that Musharraf had committed several atrocities and had violated the Constitution. “But if his health is critical and he returns to the country, then it is a separate problem.”
Clarifying that he was not talking on behalf of his party, he said, “I am clear that a person who has been convicted by a court under Article 6(high treason) of the Constitution…It would be very inappropriate to give a state burial to him.”
Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan, concluding the debate said any Pakistani who was facing cases or on a no-fly list had no bar on returning to the country. If Musharraf came back, the matter would be dealt with law and the Constitution, he added.
As the family of former president has already said that it was unlikely that Musharraf would recover from his ailment, some treasury lawmakers at the same time said that this would not be acceptable for them if a “state burial” was given to the ex-ruler of the country in case he succumbed to his disease.
The opposition PTI demanded that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif should also return home to face corruption cases against him.
The remarks of the senators came a day after Sharif asked the government to facilitate the return, if he wants, of the former military ruler from UAE. Before this, another senior leader of PML-N had hinted that the government was willing to allow him to return.
A day earlier, military spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar had said that the institution and its leadership have the stance that former chief of army staff Musharraf should come back.
At the outset of the sitting, Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed opposed the statement of former prime minister Sharif that Musharraf should be facilitated to come back due to his illness.
He said that there could be forgiveness if there was enmity only between Musharraf and Sharif but the matter was collective in nature. “He (Musharraf) remained master of black and white of the country for 10 years and his crimes are as big as Himalayas,” he said, adding that these crimes could not be forgiven. He said that the former ruler not only violated the Constitution twice, but also attacked the judiciary and “a sitting chief justice was dragged by hair.”
Senator Ahmed said that all citizens were equal before law and he should be brought back to face law and to give answers for his crimes. He also demanded Sharif to come back to the country and face the law. “If you are facilitating Musharraf, then open the jails, shut down the courts, and wrap up the parliament,” he said.
Most lawmakers do not approve giving state burial to a person convicted under Article 6 of Constitution
On this, Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani remarked that Musharraf was the citizen of the country and he should be allowed to come back due to his poor health.
Responding to the reservations of JI lawmaker, former prime minister and PPP leader Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani said that these decisions would not be taken by them but somewhere else. “Whether you were able to stop him (Musharraf) when he went abroad, and can you stop him when he will return,” he said adding that this was futile exercise.
PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary also supported the idea of return of Musharraf but added that the country and its institutions and citizens would have to work under law, Constitution and some code of conduct. He said that law should take its course and former premier Sharif should also return to the country and face the courts. “The law should be equal for all.”
Former chairman Senate and PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that Musharraf had committed several atrocities and had violated the Constitution. “But if his health is critical and he returns to the country, then it is a separate problem.”
Clarifying that he was not talking on behalf of his party, he said, “I am clear that a person who has been convicted by a court under Article 6(high treason) of the Constitution…It would be very inappropriate to give a state burial to him.”
Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan, concluding the debate said any Pakistani who was facing cases or on a no-fly list had no bar on returning to the country. If Musharraf came back, the matter would be dealt with law and the Constitution, he added.
