ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader and former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would use all political and democratic options for overthrowing this “selected” government.
Talking to media persons after appearing before Accountability Court-III Judge Syed Ashgar Ali in Toshakhana case, he said that the opposition will use every option in and outside of parliament as well as mobilise public against the skyrocketing prices of daily use commodities.
“As per the consensus decision, the PDM will use every forum and will take part in the forthcoming Senate, and by-elections as well consider option of vote of no confidence and resignations from the assemblies will be the last option,” he said.
The PDM took all decisions in consensus and it was the unanimous decision of the PDM to stage a peaceful protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said.
He said that the opposition just wanted to expedite scrutiny of foreign funding case like other cases, which was pending for the last over six years.
Earlier, Gilani appeared before the court in connection with the Toshakhana case.
The NAB had filed the Toshakhana reference against former president Asif Ali Zardari, two former prime ministers - Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, and others, for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana in violation of rules and regulations.
At the start of the hearing, the associate of Zardari’s counsel and counsel of Abdul Ghani Majeed filed separate applications before the court, seeking grant of one-day exemption to their clients from personal appearance before it, which the court approved.
During the hearing, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naeek cross-examined prosecution witness, Zubair Siddiqui, section officer of the Cabinet Division who produced documents related to the case before the court during recording of his statement.
The witness told the court that it was correct that he was not retired from service when he firstly recorded his statement before the court.
It is correct that I have not been authorised to record my statement before the court on October 1, 2020, he said.
To another question, he said that in June 2007, he was working as an assistant in Toshakhana.
It is correct that I have not produced any document regarding my posting in Toshakhana before the court, he said.
When he was asked that he was posted in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in 2009, he said that he was not posted in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in 2009.
It is correct that he was not the author of the different documents he produced before the court as well as did not mention while attesting this document was compared with the original, he said.
He said that he in 2008 was posted in Toshakhana.
It is correct that I have not produced any notification of my posting in Toshakhana in 2008, he said.
The court adjourned the hearing till January 28 following the request of Naek that he was going to attend meeting of the Pakistan Bar Council.
Naek will continue cross-examination of the witness during the next hearing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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