Gilani rejects reconciliation appeal

Friday, August 15, 2008 at 4:08 am

Pakistan’s ruling coalition on Thursday (August 14) rejected President Pervez Musharraf’s Independence day reconciliation appeal to his opponents who are set to impeach him saying that democratic forces have united to “defeat dictatorship”.

Democratic forces in Pakistan have come together to defeat dictatorship, Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani said addressing the nation on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence day without referring directly to the embattled president’s apparent peace overtures in his address to the nation a few hours earlier. Gilani also called for reconciliation — but the PPP leader indicated that it did not apply to Musharraf, who is facing mounting pressure to quit before he faces an imminent impeachment.

“The period of oppression is over forever. Dictatorship has become a story of the past,” Gilani said hours after Musharraf gave no sign of stepping down. “Our democratic coalition government has adopted a policy of reconciliation. We should move forward for national progress,” he said.

A grim Musharraf in comments apparently directed at PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif said “It’s my appeal that we should adopt a reconciliatory approach so that stability should return.”

In his first public appearance since the ruling coalition announced plans to impeach him, Musharraf said “We should all put aside our differences and work to make Pakistan strong.” “Pakistan is passing through a very critical moment in its history and our enemies are trying to weaken us externally and internally,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf should not be given ‘safe passage’: Sharif

Amidst talks of “graceful exit” for Pervez Musharraf, the former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif today said that the beleaguered President should not be given “safe passage” even if he steps down.

“This is an impeachment of the dictatorship that sold out Pakistan’s sovereignty, violated the constitution repeatedly and gave the people poverty, price rise, unemployment and backwardness,”said Sharif, who was speaking on the occasion of Pakistan’s independence day.

“Should a person who has reduced Pakistan to this condition be given safe passage? They ask for safe passage after breaking the law and violating the constitution, selling out the country’s sovereignty, ruining the country and making the people poor,” he said.

“We became independent only to be imprisoned by military dictatorship and Pakistan was ruled by military dictators for 33 years. We wanted the country to be ruled by its crores of people but instead it was ruled by a few generals,” he said.

“Today, after a long time we have achieved freedom again and this impeachment is not of Pervez Musharraf, it is an impeachment of the dictatorship that destroyed 61 years in Pakistan’s life,” the PML-N chief added.

As some of his supporters shouted “Hang Musharraf”, Sharif, who was deposed as premier by the former army chief in a bloodless coup in 1999, said: “I personally have no anger against anyone and I am not vindictive. Taking revenge is not in my dictionary.”

But he said: “We will ensure that Pakistan is freed from military dictatorship forever.”

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Gilani rejects reconciliation appeal

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