Pakistan turmoil not as 'chaotic' as appears: FM Hina
18 January, 2013
NEW YORK: Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar suggested on Wednesday that the Supreme Court was trying to boost its power by ordering the arrest of the prime minister on corruption allegations, but during a speech in New York she said the situation was not as "chaotic" as it might appear. The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday. "What looks like an extremely chaotic situation to the foreigners is actually institutions, which have been stemmed for many years by dictatorial regimes in Pakistan ... finding their rightful place," Khar told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "As each of these institutions, whether it's the parliament, or the judiciary, or the others, find their rightful place, there's a tendency to try and enlarge their space," she said. But when asked whether she thought the Supreme Court had overreached, Khar said, "We have our views on it, but I am not going to share right now." The arrest order for Raja along with a mass protest in the capital, Islamabad, led by cleric Tahirul Qadri has fuelled fears among some politicians that the military was working with the judiciary to force out a civilian leader. However, the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has a majority in parliament and lawmakers can elect another prime minister if Raja is ousted. End.
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