Nisar demands independent EC
27 January, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Asking Prime Minister Gilani to move towards the immediate appointment of an independent Chief Election Commissioner, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, made the PML-N's support to any constitutional amendments conditional on the finalisation of terms and conditions of members of the Election Commission.
Talking to the media outside parliament, Nisar said the prime minister had to initiate the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner saying that as opposition leader he would also take up the issue with the government after talking to opposition parties inside and outside parliament. "This is a highly important matter and political parties must play their due role," he said.
Nisar warned that it would be an anti-Pakistan step if anybody even though about rigging polls. "It seems that the government wants to run institutions according to its own will and has not been able to get a bill passed by parliament about the terms and conditions of four ex-judges of the high court who were appointed members of the election commission," he said.
Nisar maintained that the PML-N wanted consensus among all political parties on important issues like the Ehtesab Bill which had been pending for the last two and half years, and an independent election commission.
Nisar said that the prime minister's backtracking on his statements against the army chief and DG ISI seemed to be the result either of fear or a deal. He said the PML-N was not only against a confrontation between institutions but believed there should be no compromise on principles.
The opposition leader also threatened to bring a privilege motion against the prime minister if he did not clarify his statement in the National Assembly in which he had hinted at the involvement of some institutions in the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. "We do not want to set a tradition of bringing a privilege motion against the prime minister," he added.
Nisar observed that the prime minister's careless and irresponsible statements had made Pakistan a laughing stock and his backtracking on allegations against the army chief and DG ISI was yet another joke. PML-N leader said he would advise the prime minister to think many times before making any statements, particularly on delicate issues of national importance. Criticising the attitude of the prime minister, Nisar said he made irresponsible statements in the National Assembly and then clarified them outside the parliament.
He reiterated that the PML-N would also not become part of any game or allow parliament to be used for the restoration of Nato supplies. ìWe will not give any such mandate to the government," Nisar added. He said the Punjab government would act against Pervez Musharraf according to the law if he entered the province.
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