Asghar Khan case: PPP, PML-N in war of words
24 October, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan People's Party and opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday continued mudslinging against each other on the Asghar Khan case, further muddying the already murky politics of the country.
PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira, who is also the information and broadcasting minister, and PML-N Information Secretary Mushahidullah Khan hurled allegations against each other's parties.
Kaira at a press conference at the People's Secretariat lashed out at the PML-N leadership for being backed by the agencies in the past to rig the 1990 general election, which was proved by the Supreme Court's verdict in the Asghar Khan case.
"You can't win the election on false accusation and propaganda against the PPP leadership," Kaira stated at the press conference, pointing towards the PML-N. He expressed surprise over the PML-N's changing stance regarding investigation into the case, as some of its leaders wanted an independent commission and some were calling for the UN to probe it, while the Supreme Court had tasked the FIA with the job in its decision.
The minister also took to task opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, saying, "Don't be so simple Chaudhry sahab. You were also part of all the mess in the past and the court had revealed your rigging of elections."
Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's son-in-law case, Kaira said if Punjab Police, which is under the CM's command, investigates the case then its okay with the PML-N. But when the Supreme Court orders FIA to investigate the Asghar Khan case, they reject it. He disclosed that actors of the ‘90s had again become active against the PPP and said such designs would not be successful this time by the backing of agencies.
He revealed that Benazir Bhutto was threatened with murder of her spouse Asif Ali Zardari if she didn't accept the result of the 1990 election. He categorically stated that the office of president is a political office because it is part of parliament, which is hub of politics.
On the other hand, Mushahidullah demanded President Zardari resign from office for thr sake of strengthening of the federation. "He should pave the way for someone else as Pakistan doesn't need Asif Ali Zardari as its president because PPP needs his services to prevent itself from decaying," he stated.
Mushahid accused Zardari of only managing the PPP instead of striving for uniting the federation, adding that because of the president's political activities, his office was resulting in creation of division among the federation.
He said chairing party meetings of the PPP was blatant violation of the constitution and the same crime had been committed by former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan due to which he was called a violator of the constitution.
"Asif Ali Zardari has to choose one office: either to retain the Presidency or stick with co-chairmanship of the PPP," he stressed and urged the first step should be dismantling political offices and cells in Presidency.
Mushahid said PPP's propaganda on the Asghar Khan case would hit it back, and observed the PPP government was not serious and sincere in implementing the court's decision and was using it for political point scoring.
"When the charges against former army chief Aslam Beg, ISI chief Asad Durrani and Younis Habib were proven, why is the PPP not taking action against them," he questioned.
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