The PML-N on Monday claimed that Pervez Musharraf-supported troika, including Aiwan-e-Sadr, is bent upon side-tracking the issue of trial "of the dictator" through smear campaign against PML-N and its leadership, but the conspirators would never succeed in their designs.
PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal told newsmen at a news conference here that the former dictator would never escape trial under article (6) of the constitution of Pakistan because it is not merely an issue of PML-N but a strong demand of millions of people of Pakistan. "The people of Pakistan wanted to see the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution in the country and Gallup survey should serve as an eye-opener for those who are trying to save Pervez Musharraf," he said.
Ahsan said that PML-N had strong conviction that Pervez Musharraf alone was responsible for all the violations of the Constitution, as he always ruined it up and sabotaged whenever he deemed it inevitable to avoid any threat to his dictatorship. "His illegal, unconstitutional and immoral act of November 03, 2007 was evident on all this, which was declared as violation of the constitution of Pakistan," he said. He gave ultimatum to the Aiwan-e-Sadr for stopping campaign against PML-N within 48 hours, otherwise, he warned that the party would give a strong reply in a tit for tat manner. "Enough is enough; we will not tolerate it any more," he said.
"We want enforcement of the charter of democracy (CoD) but our co-operation is being misapprehended," he said. He said the PPP government, being signatory of the Charter of Democracy (CoD), was under moral obligation to invoke article (6) of the constitution against the former dictator. He claimed that majority of PPP MNAs "are in favour of trial of Pervez Musharraf", while Aiwan-e-Sadr "has some compulsion" in this regard. He said the smear campaign against PML-N "is only a threat" for the sitting government. "There is no threat to the system as well as democracy," he said.
He said there was no need of a resolution for trial of Pervez Musharraf. "However, if Pakistan People's Party decides to vote in favour of resolution, we will bring it, without any further loss of time." Regarding the affidavit of Asad Durrani in which he stated that ISI had given money to political leaders including Nawaz Sharif, he said the money so distributed was not of ISI; "rather the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan got money from some business leaders for onward distribution among politicians."
He said Asad Durrani had grudge against Nawaz Sharif, as in 1992 he was removed from the slot of ISI DG. He also raised many questions on the integrity of Asad Durrani and said that despite being in service, he used to advise Benazir as advisor. "That was the reason, Asad Durrani was appointed Pak Ambassador at Germany in May 1994 by Benazir Bhutto while the affidavit was submitted by him in July 1994," he added.
About the 1992 operation, he said this operation was not politically targeted; rather it was started against anti-social elements in Sindh. He said that Nawaz Sharif in a meeting with Altaf Hussein on May 25, 1992 had taken him into confidence about the operation. "The MQM leadership must ponder that their party was used twice: first on May 12, by Pervez Musharraf and now by Presidency for its political objectives," he said.
He said that his party "is struggling for the last 10 years" to establish the writ of the Constitution and strengthening of democratic institutions, which were destroyed by Pervez Musharraf throughout his illegal regime. "Now only those are being targeted through smear campaign who wanted rule of law and true democracy in the country. The plan aimed at side-tracking trial of Musharraf has been exposed. We will never allow the conspirators to succeed in their evil designs," he added.