pkpatriotic
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Hold your horses, Zardari tells lawyers
Saturday, May 24, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday declared that he would restore the judges in due course of time and asked the lawyers not to put pressure in this regard.
"Do not try to tell us how to run politics," he said while referring to the lawyers, adding, "Yes, we shall restore the judges in due course of time. Dialogue is our biggest weapon and we will talk with all the stakeholders of the world. If you tell me what war to fight, we will fall on the first day. Let me decide. You can, however, criticise me. We are a little preoccupied. When we did not become a part of the 'Patriots' or this or that league in the past, why would we do it now?"
He was speaking at a roundtable on "Media freedom, laws and security" organised by the South Asian Free Media Association and the Media Commission-Pakistan here on Friday. He said the draft of the 62-point constitutional package was being sent to the prime minister and would soon be sent to all the coalition partners.
The PPP co-chairperson said the constitutional package could be tabled in the National Assembly even before the budget. He said he was committed to the 1973 Constitution and wanted to restore parliament and the Constitution. "We have done more for democracy than anybody else and fought battles for it. We are the people who suffered." He said the PPP had always been in the forefront of all the movements in the country, whether of judges, lawyers or against dictators.
Referring to Benazir Bhutto, he said that he was bound by the Bhutto legacy to rescue the nation. He said democracy was not strong enough in Pakistan and sought the media's help to strengthen it. "You are part of us and we are part of you. We are committed to restoring full-fledged democracy,î he said.
Referring to the Safma demand of abolishing visa restrictions for all the citizens, or at least for journalists, intellectuals, academicians and artists, between India and Pakistan, Zardari said that he and Mian Nawaz Sharif had agreed that there should be no visa between the two countries but let us debate the issue in parliament. He said everybody wanted it, but patience was required as politics was the art of possible.
He said that he was as committed to the freedom of expression as Benazir and the PPP. He said they intended to make the PTV autonomous. He said he raised the slogan of Pakistan Khappay (long live Pakistan) when the Bhutto family was incarcerated in jails and four Bhuttos had reached Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
He said Benazir wanted to have independent media channels. ìWe installed power plants as envisioned by Benazir. Child of democracy cannot run at the age of 60 days. It will take time and run at maturity with the help of media family.î
Saturday, May 24, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday declared that he would restore the judges in due course of time and asked the lawyers not to put pressure in this regard.
"Do not try to tell us how to run politics," he said while referring to the lawyers, adding, "Yes, we shall restore the judges in due course of time. Dialogue is our biggest weapon and we will talk with all the stakeholders of the world. If you tell me what war to fight, we will fall on the first day. Let me decide. You can, however, criticise me. We are a little preoccupied. When we did not become a part of the 'Patriots' or this or that league in the past, why would we do it now?"
He was speaking at a roundtable on "Media freedom, laws and security" organised by the South Asian Free Media Association and the Media Commission-Pakistan here on Friday. He said the draft of the 62-point constitutional package was being sent to the prime minister and would soon be sent to all the coalition partners.
The PPP co-chairperson said the constitutional package could be tabled in the National Assembly even before the budget. He said he was committed to the 1973 Constitution and wanted to restore parliament and the Constitution. "We have done more for democracy than anybody else and fought battles for it. We are the people who suffered." He said the PPP had always been in the forefront of all the movements in the country, whether of judges, lawyers or against dictators.
Referring to Benazir Bhutto, he said that he was bound by the Bhutto legacy to rescue the nation. He said democracy was not strong enough in Pakistan and sought the media's help to strengthen it. "You are part of us and we are part of you. We are committed to restoring full-fledged democracy,î he said.
Referring to the Safma demand of abolishing visa restrictions for all the citizens, or at least for journalists, intellectuals, academicians and artists, between India and Pakistan, Zardari said that he and Mian Nawaz Sharif had agreed that there should be no visa between the two countries but let us debate the issue in parliament. He said everybody wanted it, but patience was required as politics was the art of possible.
He said that he was as committed to the freedom of expression as Benazir and the PPP. He said they intended to make the PTV autonomous. He said he raised the slogan of Pakistan Khappay (long live Pakistan) when the Bhutto family was incarcerated in jails and four Bhuttos had reached Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
He said Benazir wanted to have independent media channels. ìWe installed power plants as envisioned by Benazir. Child of democracy cannot run at the age of 60 days. It will take time and run at maturity with the help of media family.î
