Gilani says Swat pact will be ratified soon

Friday, March 13, 2009
by Dilshad Azeem

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani on Thursday came up with another promise with Parliamentarians to get peace pacts including Swat accord ratified from President Asif Zardari despite Washington’s opposition.

“As high hopes are being attached with Gilani as Chief Executive, he appeared to be all-out confident to obtain presidential nod on US-opposed Swat agreement and those struck in tribal areas,” JUI-F Secretary General Senator Ghafoor Haideri told The News here.

A delegation of JUI-F federal ministers and MPs met the premier placing before him a three-point agenda, Malakand accord and other peace agreements, implementation of parliamentary recommendations in tribal areas and release of funds for JUI-F senators.

Gilani has already announced on the Floor of the National Assembly to end governor’s rule in the Punjab as early as possible and that “he will talk with President Zardari for an action allowing majority party to form government there.”

Explaining discussions and PM commitments, Haideri said that military, as per commitment of the prime minister, will be pulled out of these areas particularly those fall under the accords and particularly in reference with Swat.

“Not only his response was encouraging but he was also ready to implement the pacts within shortest possible time on getting these ratified by Zardari,” he maintained. Haideri said that the JUI-F delegation while commenting on the prevailing political scenario opposed the Supreme Court decision, which disqualified Sharifs and imposition of governor’s rule in the Punjab.

“We contended that no political party or the lawyers could be stopped from staging a long march or dharna but at the same time, the responsibility of safeguarding life and property rest with the government,” he said.

On indirect contacts between Sharifs and Zardari, he said the PML-N leader did not respond since Maulana Fazlur Rehman conveyed Zardari’s willingness to be flexible on two core issues, reversal of Feb 25, 2009 steps and judges reinstatement.

“The government had actually agreed to revive pre-Feb 25 position through filing a review petition in Supreme Court or through Article 63 of Constitution but without restoring Justice Iftikhar Chauhdry,” Haidri maintained.

When asked about Nawaz Sharif’s desire, he explained that he (Nawaz) had asked Zardari to call the lawyers’ leadership to find a way out for judges’ restoration besides accepting demands regarding the Punjab government. “Zardari was not ready to accept lawyers’ involvement in CJ case.”

To another question, he said, “Gilani told us that Asif Zardari had given a personal commitment to Jan Jamali to retain him as deputy chairman Senate under the arrangements decided in presidential elections.”

Gilani directed the concerned authorities for immediate release of funds for the development schemes in the areas of the JUI-F senators. Other members of the delegation included Federal Minister for Tourism Maulana Atta-ur-Rahman, Federal Minister for Housing and Works Rehmatullah Kakar, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati and Senators Gul Naseeb Khan, Haji Ghulam Ali, Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Maulana Saleh, Abdul Rasheed, Maulana Rahat, Liaquat Bangulzai, Khalid Jan, Syed M Hussain and Dr Khalid Soomro.