Gilani says no one can force him out
08 May, 2012
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| Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani talking to media persons during on board from Islamabad to London. |
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ON BOARD PM'S AIRCRAFT: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that constitution had explicitly spelt out the ways to remove a prime minister and no one could force him out.
The prime minister said that he would not be coerced to move out of the office through unconstitutional means, and would exhaust all means to have a fair trial.
"I have no yearning to stick to the power, but I will take it to finality and exhaust all avenues," Gilani told a team of journalists accompanying him to the United Kingdom on a five-day visit.
Gilani was asked about the stance taken by him on the issue of non-implementation of the Supreme Court's order and the subsequent conviction for contempt. He said all his decisions were in line with the constitution, as he believed that under Article 248(1), he enjoyed complete immunity and he only did what he thought was the right thing.
"I took all decisions to the best of my abilities and in line with the rules and procedures, and in good faith," he said, added, "I am proud that I fought for the constitution."
He said his coalition government enjoyed a two-thirds majority and its partners stood by it through thick and thin. He said he had the right to appeal, and that the matter of his disqualification or not would go to the National Assembly speaker and finally to the chief election commissioner.
"But we must also see what happened to the decision taken by the Election Commission against Waheeda Shah, who has disqualified, but the Sindh High Court stayed the decision," the prime minister said.
Gilani said even though Nawaz Sharif got a sentence for nine years, this was never played up by the ruling party. He said Nawaz needed to" work hard to remove me from prime ministership".
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