Karachi - Pakistan People’s Party has once again reiterated that it will not support extension in the military courts and vigorously defend the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
“The party will continue to raise its voice over the national and political issues inside and outside of the Parliament,” said former premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at a presser at the PPP Media Cell on Friday.
He said this after the top party leadership met at Bilawal House Karachi under the chair of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The meeting was also attended by Faryal Talpur, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Khursheed Shah, Shery Rehman, Farooq Naek, Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Humayoon Khan, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Barrister Amir, Faisal Rathor, Nafeesa Shah, Faisal Karim Kundi, Nasir Shah, Waqar Mahdi, Saeed Ghani, Murtaza Wahab, Aijaz Jakhrani, Ser Buland Jogezai, Sheraz Rajpar and others.
Gilani said that the party leadership mulled over overall political and economic conditions of the country and expressed its concern over the failed economic policies of the incumbent government that had created problems for the poor people of the country.
“Now they are once again bringing a mini-budget despite an unprecedented hike in basic commodities and medicines prices,” he said.
On military courts, the PPP leader said that the party once again discussed the issue, on which it has already passed an adverse resolution.
“We have reservations over military courts,” he said and added that if the terrorism could not be curtailed despite government’s claims then they would not be able to overcome it in 40 years.
Speaking on the issue, PPP leader Farhat Ullah Babar said that approving such unprecedented law could militarise the judiciary.
“Whenever the court asks for the missing persons, it is informed that they are facing a trial in military courts,” he said, adding that if this practice continues then this could happen on other issues too in future.
To a query about changing the Senate chairman, Babar said that the party would decide about bringing any change in the Senate.
On queries pertaining to ongoing cases against PPP leadership, Gilani said that the issue is being dealt by the lawyers.
“We will not be bowed down by the tactics of NAB and FIA,” he said and added that whenever PPP leaders Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto raise voice for the rights of masses, some institutions start hatching conspiracies against them.
Farhatullah Bar added to it and asked as to how they could stop Pakhtun Tahhafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen from entering Sindh as he had not done any unlawful act.
“But after his arrival in the province, the institutions become active against PPP leadership,” he said.
About the apex court decision of some hospitals’ handover to federal government, Gilani said that they consider the stance taken by Justice Maqbool Baqar, who wrote a dissenting note, as correct.
Over formation of South Punjab province, the former premier said that they had formed a commission for South Punjab but now an effort was being made to form only an administrative unit there instead of making the area a separate province.
“We want nothing less than a separate province that has its own governor, chief minister and courts,” he asserted.
Adviser to Sindh CM on Information Murtaza Wahab while referring to apex court order to handover three Sindh hospitals to federal government said that they were being deprived of the institutions developed by the Sindh government.
He, however, said that they would continue to build more such institutions under the guidance of their leadership.
Murtaza further said that the court had ordered to remove Bilawal and CM Murad’s names from the JIT report but the federal government only removed their names from the ECL.
He also questioned as to why the case was shifted to Islamabad when all the relevant persons belong to the Sindh province. “We will not be afraid of this and will defend us in courts as we have clean hands,” he said.
PPP to oppose military courts’ extension