Thursday, January 19, 2012

Raza Rabbani demands case against Musharraf for violating Article 6

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani on Tuesday demanded the government arrest former president Pervez Musharraf by charging him under article 6 of the constitution.

Speaking on a point of order during the Senate session, he represented a 10-point charge sheet against former the president, saying that it was alarming he was announcing for his return to Pakistan.

The House also resounded with voices of Balochistan lawmakers about a sense of deprivation prevailing in the province while Senator Humayun Khan Mandokhel walked out from the House to stage a sit-in outside parliament for the entire session.

Rabbani said that Musharraf not only breached the constitution twice during his dictatorship but also committed aggression against the judiciary. “Musharraf arrested judges and dismissed them from service,” he added.

The PPP senator said it was important to mention here that the Supreme Court had given verdict against the illegal constitutional act of November 3 of former president Musharraf while parliament also did not give protection to the Legal Framework Order (LFO) in the parliamentary history of the country.

He said it was difficult to believe that the former president handed over the Shamsi airbase to the US without any written agreement as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence did not have any written agreement in this regard. “Musharraf was risk for the national security,” he claimed.

Rabbani said that Musharraf was responsible for the missing persons across the country while he started Balochistan operation during his tenure.

He alleged that Musharraf was involved in the killings of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto while he was the killer of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti. He also held the former president responsible for the law and order situation in the country.

Rabbani alleged that Musharraf tried to weaken the federation during his tenure, saying he was involved in fanning differences among administrative units of the federation. “The charge sheet against the former president was too long,” he added.

The former minister said it was important that the federal government should file an FIR against Musharraf under the Article 6 of the constitution. “It was the responsibility of the federal government to arrest Musharraf on his return,” he added.

Rabbani said if the government did not register an FIR against Musharraf then there should be no place for Article 6 in the constitution.

PML-N’s Senator Raja Zafarul Haq said that Musharraf was a major criminal of the country while it was the demand of the Upper House that he should be hanged under Article 6 of the constitution. “I agree with Rabbani,” he added.

ANP Senator Zahid Khan said that Musharraf was responsible for the present situation of the country while he introduced war against terrorism in the country. “The ANP believes that he should be arrested on his arrival,” he added.

JUI-F’s Senator Dr Khalid Soomro said the JUI-F would support the government if it takes action against Musharraf.

National Party’s Senator Dr Abdul Malik, while supporting the charge sheet of Senator Rabbani, demanded that the senators should bring a charge sheet against Musharraf in form of a resolution.

Earlier, Senators from Balochistan talked about what they termed discrimination with their province in the employment as well as in the development projects.

The House could not take up a bill of the Law Ministry as Leader of the House Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari told the House that as the Federal Law Minister Moula Bux Chandio no more holds the ministry, the bill should be deferred.

The Upper House Tuesday gave warm welcome to the parliamentary delegation of the India while the parliamentary leaders of all the parties suggested that both the countries should settle dispute through the process of dialogue. Senate Chairman Farooq H Neak, on the behalf of the Senate and the people of Pakistan, welcomed the guests in the Upper House.

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