Pakistan People's Party (PPP) central leader Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, while commenting on PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's statement regarding National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), said on Monday that no one could deceive the PPP. The time would prove who was deceived or trapped, he added.
Talking to newsmen here on Monday, he said this statement had exposed the low mentality of the Chaudhris, who were deceiving the nation as well as General Pervez Musharraf simultaneously.
Gilani said the PPP had always spoke for the restoration of democracy, and it did not back out what it did say. The PPP would fulfil its promises, and it was the responsibility of the party to abide by its principle either someone else observed it or not.
He said it was beyond understanding what were the motives of these people behind such unethical statements, adding the PPP was doing work for its seven-point agenda of free, fair, and impartial elections. Getting rid of uniform, withdrawal of cases framed on political basis, restoration of true democracy and the Constitution, withdrawal of 17th Amendment, etc, and it would not backout from its basic principle.
Gilani said that the PPP's struggle forced President Pervez Musharraf to doff his uniform, adding that General Zia's heirs had started a mala fide campaign against the PPP. He said political leaders were exempt from arrests only in NAB cases.
He said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chaudhry Shujaat's statements in which they termed the promulgation of the NRO a political gimmick which the government utilised to ensure President General Pervez Musharraf's success in the presidential election.
The PPP was considering all these statements in a serious fashion, said Gilani, adding: "But let me clear one thing that such statements cannot damage PPP status as the party is quite indifferent from these things." "It is a serious joke with nation", said Gilani.