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I want to make history: Gilani
Monday, July 20, 2009
Says enough is enough; wants powerful parliament, active and effective cabinet; vows to take decisions on merit, not according to somebody’s wishes; says CoD to be implemented with PML-N’s help; rejects ban on SMS, e-mails
By Hamid Mir
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is now in an aggressive mood. He is serious about good governance. He has decided to reshuffle the federal cabinet only on merit, and not according to “somebody’s liking or disliking”.
He appears to be very confident after emerging victorious from Sharm el-Sheikh. His aggressive stance on the Indian interference in Balochistan came as a surprise to Manmohan Singh. Now his stance against the president’s interference in the day-to-day affairs of government could surprise Zardari in the coming days and weeks.
The nomination of a DMG officer, Jahanzeb Khan, as ambassador to France by the President House was a challenge to the authority of the prime minister. The decision was conveyed to the Foreign Office by the President House directly on telephone. However, Gilani did not react immediately. He waited for a few days and then proposed that Jahanzeb Khan would be appointed as ambassador to France only after he resigned from the DMG service. Obviously, Jahanzeb Khan was not ready to sacrifice his DMG post for a few years’ ambassadorship. Eventually, the prime minister rejected his nomination despite the fact that he had all the blessings of the President House. Gilani has sent a very strong message everywhere by rejecting the nomination of Jahanzeb Khan. He took this action after consulting many colleagues in the cabinet and in the PPP.
The prime minister has also finalised some surprising changes in the federal cabinet. He is determined to remove at least three close buddies of Zardari from some very important ministries.
In an informal conversation with this scribe, Gilani said: “Enough is enough. I have assessed the performance of my ministers during the last one year. Now I have to make some changes according to merit, not according to somebody’s liking and disliking because I am responsible for running a country of more than 170 million people”.
He also made it clear that the recent announcement of Interior Minister Rehman Malik about action against anti-government e-mails and SMS would not be implemented. The prime minister did not take Rehman Malik seriously and said that nobody would be allowed in the future to make such announcements without consulting the federal cabinet. He said, “I am not bothered about any e-mail or SMS because nobody is sending anything against me.”
Sources close to the prime minister revealed that at least 90 MNAs from the PPP had already assured their support to Gilani in any case. About 91 PML-N members, 54 PML-Q MNAs, 16 independents and 13 members of the ANP in the National Assembly would also go with Gilani, the sources said.
Only 24 MNAs from the MQM, six from Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F and about 35 others, including some PPP ministers, are on the presidentís side. Zardari is not in a position to remove Gilani because the prime minister enjoys a simple majority in the National Assembly despite the unseen opposition from the President House. The PM has evidence about involvement of some close aides of the president in his character assassination. These silent operators distributed huge amount of money among some journalists for proving Gilani as a “bad chap”, but they have failed. Though there is no evidence that President Zardari was directly involved in the character assassination campaign against the PM, some of his silent soldiers are still very close to him.
Despite all his presidential powers Zardari even cannot dare dissolve the National Assembly. According to Article 58(3), within 15 days of the dissolution, the president has to refer the matter to the Supreme Court, which would decide the issue in one month.
Gilani is confident that new parliament will definitely get rid of 17th Amendment. “It’s our election manifesto. We will implement the Charter of Democracy with the help of the PML-N.”Gilani also claimed that actually it was he who had asked President Zardari to hold talks with Nawaz Sharif a few days ago. Gilani said, “I broke the ice between President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif”.
He also shared some of his future plans with The News. “I want a powerful parliament. I need an active and effective cabinet. I want to make history. I will re-open the trial of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and that is my promise with you.
I want to make history: Gilani
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He definitely seems to have the right ideas - his move to overrule the ban by Rehman Dakait's ( I mean Malik) SMS bans and the posting of a DMG officer as Ambassador to France are appreciated.
Whether he will have the will to carry on in the face of opposition from Zardari is the question.
Good luck to him, and I hope he retains the support of the opposition and significant members of his own party as he goes forward in order to enact such change.