LAHORE - Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid says if the PPP has proof of any wrongdoing by any federal government functionary it should produce the same before the relevant court of law or the National Accountability Bureau.
Talking to The Nation after “bellicose statements” made by some important PPP leaders in reaction to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s press conference yesterday, Pervaiz Rashid said the federal government did not want to start what he called a tug of war. “The investigations (against former minister Dr Asim Hussain) had been carried out in accordance with the law, as a result of which many things came to light. Now the matter would be taken to court.”
He said the federal government would proceed in accordance with the law while the PPP leaders were trying to defend their politics by issuing wrong statements against the interior minister.
The minister said courts and parliament were functional and every party had the right to approach them to have their grievances redressed.
He said the Rangers had started operation in Karachi after the approval of all parties and they should be given legal shelter for that.
The federal government sees a change in the Sindh government’s mood as it is the first time that it wants to take the issue of Rangers powers to the provincial legislature although the paramilitary force has been carrying out operation in Karachi for more than two years.
The PPP leaders on the other hand argue that the matter did not become controversial in the past because the Rangers had not exceeded their mandate. Now that they are transgressing their limits, the matter is being referred to the Sindh Assembly, various PPP leaders said yesterday.
Commenting on this shift in the viewpoint of the PPP, Senator Pervaiz Rashid said, “Let the PPP leaders adopt any course of action provided by the law. We want legal umbrella for the Rangers so that they could continue the operation.”
In response to a question, the minister said despite hostile statements from both sides he was confident that the situation would normalise very soon.
“The situation would go in the right direction as it is the collective responsibility of all parties to safeguard country’s national interest. (Belligerent) statements would continue to pour in from both sides, but the situation would normalise after some time.”