M A I N   N E W S

Pak PM Gilani fears ouster
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

Without mincing words over his defiant mood in taking on the military, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said no institution has the right to create a state within a state. “Conspiracies are being hatched to bring down my government,” Gilani told the National Assembly in an emotional speech amid escalating civil-military tensions. “Nobody would be allowed to set up state within a state,” he added.

Gilani spoke amid feverish activity in the capital and GHQ Rawalpindi. He held a long session with president Asif Ali Zardari, who had suddenly flown into Islamabad late Wednesday evening. Zardari also launched a series of meetings with PPP core committee and later with parliamentarians belonging to the coalition.

Zardari also called a prominent anchor Hamid Mir, voicing sympathy over reports that he had received threats from a secret agency.

"I am back (in Islamabad) and fully in command to fight back," Mir quoted Zardari as saying during the call.

Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif also condemned the threats and told Mir that the secret agencies have apparently not learnt any lesson.

Similar activity was witnessed in GHQ Rawalpindi amid rumours that the security establishment may be preparing for a pre-emptive move while sensing the president’s plans to sack army and military chiefs.

In a parallel development, the Supreme Court today resumed hearing in the memo case and decided to appoint a sitting judge to head the commission whose setting up it had ordered for conducting a probe into the memo scam. An earlier nominee, Tariq Khosa, declined to head the commission following a strong personal attack by PPP leader Babar Awan.

In another significant move, the court took note of increasing demands for fresh elections and directed the Election Commission to finalise electoral lists by February 23.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry made some scathing remarks against the commission for being lethargic and deliberately delaying the task.

Giving his most public indication yet that he fears being ousted from power, Gilani told the National Assembly that he would face conspiracies and protect the rights of the people.

“I want to make it clear today that conspiracies are being hatched here to pack up the elected government,” Gilani later also spoke at a gathering of party at the National Arts Gallery, without naming anyone.

Gilani said that the government respects the armed forces and has supported the military in the worst of times. “They are a disciplined army and follow the constitution,” Gilani said. “They are under the government and will remain under the government,” he observed, obliquely aiming at the military over reports that the defence ministry conceded to the Supreme Court that it had no control over the armed forces or ISI intelligence agency.

“If they say that they are not under the ministry of defence, then we should get out of this slavery, then this parliament has no importance, this system has no importance, then you are not sovereign,” the PM told lawmakers. “They are being paid from the state exchequer, from your revenue and from your taxes,” he added.