Sept 01 , 2015
News
‘PPP denounces corruption, will not tolerate graft charges’
Gilani says FIA can’t act without govt’s orders
INPISLAMABAD – After getting seven-day protective bail in eight cases of graft, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani termed the corruption cases as part of a campaign of political victimisation against him, but expressed the hope that the courts would dispense justice.
Blaming the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N, he said that the Federal Investigation Agency was a part of the government and could not act without the government's orders. “During my tenure as prime minister, there was no political victimisation or political prisoners. About 85 percent of the Charter of Democracy was implemented during my time,” he said.
“We will support if PML-N still wishes to implement remaining parts of the charter," he told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court, as the court granted seven-day protective bail to him in graft cases. Gilani said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) compiled cases against him. He also said that his party – Pakistan People’s Party – respects judiciary and judicial proceedings.
He said that he had served five years in jail and that was why he worked against political victimisation during his tenure. As far as the Charter of Democracy is concerned, he said that the late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif signed the agreement and the PPP upholds the charter to date. He said that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s statement was out of a dejected heart.
He said that there could not be two different laws in one country. He said that PPP denounces corruption and the party was in favour of operation in Karachi. But he said that PPP would not tolerate such serious allegations. Gilani said that he got to know about another case against him when he was in the court.
– PPP never supports extremism, terrorism –
The former prime minister said that any allegation could be leveled against the PPP but not that it was supporting extremism and terrorism. He said that PPP suffered the most due to terrorism and pointed out that their leader Benazir Bhutto was martyred by the terrorists. Party’s senior counsel Farooq H Naik said that PPP was a political victim in the matter.
Last week, an Anti-Corruption Court issued arrest warrants for Gilani and Makhdoom Amin Faheem – both leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party – for their alleged involvement in the multi-billion-rupee corruption scandal and other graft cases.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk