ISLAMABAD:We knew there would be consequences if action had been taken against former president General (r) Musharraf, said Pervaiz Rashid.
Speaking exclusively to SAMAA TV, Rashid said that the government could not even send a medical board the hospital where Musharraf was kept. He said that the government was not able to take Musharraf to court when he was discharged from the hospital.
"We were not even able to ask how his motorcade changed its direction and went to the hospital instead of the court," he said.
The former information minister said that the government had shut its eyes and turned its face away in embarrassment instead of disclosing its helplessness to the media.
"We knew about the consequences of taking that step (action against Musharraf)," he said. "October 12 also took place, didn't it?"
Reacting to Nawaz Sharif's disqualification for life verdict, Rashid said that a strict punishment was not acceptable because the decision to disqualify Nawaz Sharif was a weak one.
"Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto were overthrown twice over charges of being dishonest," he said. "But that dishonesty is yet to be proven."
Rashid said that no prime minister ever in the history of Pakistan asked a judge to swear fealty to him. Neither did any court grant any prime minister the right to make any amend to the constitution as he liked, said Rashid.
"However, these things happened when dictators took over," he said.
On Asif Ali Zardari, sectarian politics and elections
He referred to former president Asif Ali Zardari and said that the PPP leader was a tribal warrior who was exacting vengeance on Nawaz Sharif.
"Zardari should not use Nawaz as an excuse to create difficulties for the masses," he said.
He referred indirectly to the eight PML-N lawmakers who left the party citing the demand for South Punjab and said that regional, sectarian politics were being promoted instead of the politics of federation.
"A very dangerous game of fire is being played in which fingers will burn," he said.
He said that democracy and the federation were both in danger. Rashid spoke of a particular mindset in the country that wanted a 'controlled democracy'.
"We will put an end to such elements after getting votes," he said.
Pervaiz Rashid said that it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct elections in the country and not someone else's.
"When someone else other than the ECP say they will hold elections, it creates doubts," he said. APP/AFP