ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said the USPresident Donald Trump should retract his tweet about Pakistan and tenderan apology.
In a TV programme, he said after the US leadership tweet, the Government ofPakistan very strongly responded to it. On different forums, such tweetswere declared as foolish, he added.
To another question, the prime minister said Pakistan Tehreek-e-InsafChairman Imran Khan should tender an apology for his disparaging remarksagainst the Parliament.
He said the Constitution enshrined right to expression and nobody could bedeprived of this right but whatever Imran Khan said about the parliamentwas incorrect.
The prime minister said, on the other hand, former prime minister NawazSharif had expressed his opinion about a judicial verdict which was hisconstitutional right but he never abused any institution.
He said the democratic system had evolved in other countries and inPakistan; it was still growing in which different institutions had theirspecific roles and rights. ‘If a democratic process in Pakistan hadcontinued, certain things would not have surfaced’.
Nawaz Sharif never spoke of unconstitutional things. Under theConstitution, the right to association had been the fundamental right, headded.
He said the courts had the discretion to decide a case. The verdict againstformer prime minister was implemented but the people did not accept,neither history would accept it.
There were different judicial cases which had not been accepted, he saidand referred to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case. Three judges in Bhutto’s casehad conceded that they announced the judgment under pressure.
He said the right to appeal had not been granted in Panama case, however,the verdict in the instant case would not become a precedent and the debateover it would continue.
About Zainab’s case, the prime minister said, they were cognizant of thepains and anger felt by the people in Kasur but there was no law in thecountry which could permit public hanging.
No one had the right to exceed the law and Constitution, he said, addingthe parliament was the only forum which could legislate.
About criticism against the government, the prime minister said it was nota new thing as the executive had always been a punching bag of opponents.
Zainab’s case was a painful incident, but unfortunately the politicians hadpoliticised a criminal issue, he regretted. He said he was satisfied withthe Punjab government’s progress to investigate the case. The efforts wereunderway to nab the culprit and the government was hopeful to bring thecriminal to justice.
He said in the developed countries like the US and UK, people involved insuch criminal cases had also evaded their arrests for decades despiteefforts and availability of resources.
The prime minister said the police force had to deal with a host of issuesas well, like dharna, law and order and so on. Provincial issues had alwaysprompted provincial governments’ response which was clearly defined by theConstitution and the federal government had nothing to do with it, he added.
About the change in Balochistan government, he said in politics, grievancesoften cropped up but there was a democratic mechanism to address them atthe provincial or the central levels.
He said he did not deny the democratic right of the elected members of theprovincial assembly but what they did, would have negative impacts.
About privatization of national carrier Pakistan International Airlines,the prime minister said this process had been underway since 2002. Rs 450billion PIA losses were the whopping one, he said.
He said it was his responsibility to resolve the issue in which the rightsof the employees should be protected. ‘If his government could not completethe process, the next government would continue the process as the countrycould not afford such losses, he said.
To a question about Indian threats, the prime minister said the indigenousstruggle for freedom in the Indian occupied Kashmir had baffled India andit was trying to divert world attention from its gross human rightsviolations.
He said dialogue process with the neighbouring country was not possibletill resolution of the core issues, adding the dialogue should be based onsincerity and not under any duress.
About the repatriation of Afghan refugees, the prime minister said Pakistanhad hosted three million refugees and only bore the brunt of the Afghanissue. The world and Afghanistan must appreciate it, he stressed.
He reiterated that Pakistan could not be blamed for attacks insideAfghanistan. The rehabilitation of Afghanistan refugees was linked with theissues inside Afghanistan which should be resolved earnestly.
“The fencing of Pak-Afghan border will continue. War is no solution toAfghan issue. The issue can be resolved through dialogue and Afghan-ownedand Afghan-led process. Pakistan and other countries can act asfacilitators,” he added. – APP