ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said conspirators were plotting to bring down his government, giving his most public indication yet that he fears being ousted from power.
“I want to make it clear today that conspiracies are being hatched here to pack up the elected government,” Gilani told a gathering at the National Arts Gallery, without naming anyone.
“But we will continue to fight for the rights of people of Pakistan whether or not we remain in the government,” Gilani said, declaring himself the country’s longest serving premier, with 45 months on the job.
Two weeks ago, Interior Minister Rehman Malik dismissed rumours that a coup could overthrow the government, but Gilani’s remarks appeared to show that members of the administration believe their early departure is all too possible.
Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday, PM Gilani said that the government respects the armed forces and has supported the military in the worst of times.
“They are a disciplined army and follow the constitution,” Gilani said. “They are under the government and will remain under the government.”
But heading off questions in parliament, he took aim at the military over reports that the defence ministry conceded to the Supreme Court that it had no control over the armed forces or ISI intelligence agency.
“If they say that they are not under the ministry of defence, then we should get out of this slavery, then this parliament has no importance, this system has no importance, then you are not sovereign,” he told lawmakers.
“They are being paid from the State Exchequer, from your revenue and from your taxes.”
All institutions are subservient to the Parliament, and no institution has the right to create a state within the state, added the prime minister.
“If somebody thinks that they are not under the government, they are mistaken. They are under the government and they shall remain under the government, because we are the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan.”
Appearing to lose patience, he said the government had stood by the security services over a storm of American pressure over the Osama bin Laden killing, the November 26 Nato attack and the 2008 attacks on Mumbai.
“In the worst circumstances we doubled their salaries. They have to be accountable to parliament.”
“We are being asked by the judicial commission (examining the May 2 US raid that killed bin Laden raid and how the al Qaeda leader lived in Pakistan undetected) about issuance of visas (to Americans).
“But I want to ask how was (bin Laden) living here for the past six years? On what type of visa was he living here? Why was security not taken care of, if he entered in Pakistan without a visa?”
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