Cabinet to accompany Gilani in SC verdict

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The federal cabinet on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and resolved that all ministers would accompany him to the courtroom on Thursday. This was stated by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira while briefing journalists on the cabinet meeting here at the Prime Minister's Secretariat. Flanked by Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah, Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Muhammad Azam, Secretary Information Taimur Azmat Osman and others, Kaira said the Prime Minister informed the cabinet that he would not avail any privilege while appearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the contempt of court case and would go to the court on foot. "The leaders and ministers of the coalition partners will also accompany the Prime Minister. We expect justice from the court and hope for justice," he said while responding to the questions raised by reporters. He said the president enjoyed immunity under the local and international laws and writing a letter to the Swiss authorities would tantamount to surrendering immunity. The minister said, "We as a nation say that a foreign country should hand over Dr. Afia Siddiqui to Pakistan and has no right to set head money for Hafiz Saeed. Likewise, we cannot surrender our President before a Swiss magistrate." Asked whether the government would implement the court verdict, the minister said that the government's legal and political teams would take a decision in line with the Constitution and law of land. He said that the Prime Minister also summoned a special federal cabinet meeting to discuss future strategy in the wake of court's order. The meeting to be held after the SC verdict, would be attended by chief ministers of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, and governors of the provinces, besides the Prime Minister and the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. "The Prime Minister has no ego problem and he is ready to appear before the court for a third time. He will appear before the court like an ordinary citizen," he added. He said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani had set a new precedence by transferring their powers to the Parliament. He said the President surrendered his powers to the Parliament and the federation devolved its powers to empower the provinces, which were now getting Rs 400 billion additional amount as per new NFC Award. To a question she said that Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan belonged to his party and he was her continuation and there was no question of holding any investigations into appointments made by her.