ISLAMABAD: President of the Sindh chapter of PML-N Syed Ghous Ali Shah has said the army will have to accept the sovereignty of parliament.
The army will have to decide once and for all about the sovereignty of parliament. It will have to accept that everyone should work under parliament,’ he said while addressing a press conference at the National Press Club here on Saturday.
Mr Shah said that it was up to the army chief to decide about the right role for his highly-disciplined institution. He praised Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, saying that his was a very positive approach.
He also spoke about the positive role played by some former army chiefs. He said Gen Aslam Beg had decided against seizing power after the death of Gen Ziaul Haq in an air crash.
Gen Jehangir Karamat had resigned from his office after the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was annoyed by his suggestion about the formation of a national security panel, he said.
Mr Shah —who returned from the UK in August, ending his nine-year exile —parried a question regarding the possibility of PML-N filing a treason case against former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
‘The nation has risen up. It will give its opinion on this and all other issues in due course of time, tomorrow if not today,’ he said instead of giving a categorical reply.
The vague reply was surprising for many as the PML-N had been opposing the idea of giving safe exit to General Musharraf after the Feb 28 polls and had been calling for his trial for violating the Constitution.
The PML-N leader alleged that Gen (retd) Musharraf had no realisation as to what crime he had committed. He said the government wanted to grant indemnity to the former president, but it was his party chief Nawaz Sharif who opposed it.
Mr Shah denied the impression that the movement for the restoration of the deposed judges was restricted to Punjab.
He said the people of Sindh also played a major role in the movement and even rendered sacrifices. He said the way the government imposed Section 144 in Sindh and sealed its borders with other provinces during the long march was a proof that the people of Sindh were in favour of the restoration of the deposed chief justice.
He said the massive public pressure forced the government to change its mind and announce restoration of the judges, illegally and unconstitutionally sacked by Musharraf.
About the possibility of the PPP and PML-N joining hands, he said it all depended on the meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to be held on Sunday in Raiwind.
Dawn (Pakistan)