1:46 AM
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met on Friday to dispel the impression of a confrontation between the military and civilian leaders over the memo case.
Mr Gilani and Gen Kayani, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after the meeting that lasted for a couple of hours, agreed that the replies submit-ted with the Supreme Court should not be misconstrued as “a standoff between the army and the government”.
The meeting took place after Mr Gilani addressed a meeting of PPP parliamentarians in which he termed the memo scandal a conspiracy against his government and democracy.
The replies filed by the federation, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI head Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to the nine petitions in the Supreme Court gave the impression of a widening chasm between the civilian government and the military.
While the federation sought dismissal of the petitions on the ground that the issue did not fall in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the army chief and the spymaster pressed for probe by the Supreme Court-appointed body.
Also important to note in the media statement was that “the prime minister and the army chief underscored the significance of national unity to address the challenges faced by the nation”.
The prime minister, it further said, reiterated that the government and its institutions remained committed to their constitutional roles and obligations to a democratic and prosperous future for Pakistan.
Posted in: NATIONAL
