ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The statement issued on Saturday by Prime Minister’s Office confessed that two major allegations leveled by the opposition against the PM House were not baseless – story was planted and it had some motives.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement also accepted that story was a “breach of National Security”.
The statement maintained that evidence available so far points to a lapse on the part of Information Minister (Pervez Rasheed).
Pervez Rasheed is known for his financial as well as moral honesty, pro-democratic stance and a known victim of last martial law of Gen. Musharraf. Last military government did not find any legal, financial or moral corruption against him but he was worst victim of physical torture by former rulers.
This political development was not unexpected and there were rumours that meeting among Chief of Army General Raheel Sharif, Federal Minister Finance Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Chief Minister Punjab held in Rawalpindi ended with a promise from the government to take instant action against those who were allegedly involved in “breach of national security”.
Some political circles believe that Pervez Rasheed has been made a scapegoat — A person that is made to bear blame for others. Question arises that would military leadership be satisfied to accept any scapegoat if he is really just a scapegoat?
Political circles ask a question how come a person like Pervez Rasheed who is least ambitious and strongly committed with his party can take such big risk to fabricate or leak a story without the permission of his top leadership?
The Civil-Military relationship witnessed a rift earlier this month after Dawn News’ reporter Cyril Almeida’s Story titled “Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military” was published in the newspaper on October 6.
The story claimed that there was a hot discussion between the DG Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) General Rizwan Akhtar and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif who blamed intelligence agency to keep regional terrorists. Reporter claimed that this discussion was held during the National Action Plan (NAP) meeting in PM House. This story was instantly rebutted by the Prime Minister House, calling the story a piece of fabrication.
Following the story, the Corps Commanders on October 14 expressed their serious concern over feeding of false and fabricated story to reporter. The military leadership called upon the federal government to investigate the Story and find out culprits and their objectives behind it.
Timing of removal of Pervez Rasheed is extremely critical and the decision must have been taken under tremendous pressure or under extraordinary circumstance that Prime Minister House is facing but not sharing with anyone.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) public gathering or Dharna is just three days ahead and Prime Minister House accepted that two of serious charges against the government were not baseless. If government was not under tremendous pressure, it could postpone this decision of removing one of its top federal ministers for another one week because 23 days had already passed since this news was published.
After latest development, politics of Pakistan has entered the phase of “all possibilities”. Political circles believe that there are possibilities that further investigations in this case may include even the personality of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif himself or other people close to him. In such case, there are possibilities that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) can decide to field any of its parliamentarian as candidate for the prime minister till such time that investigations are concluded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stands clear. In these circumstances, name of Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal can be first possibility for the candidature of Prime Ministership. In these circumstances, candidate of PML-N will go through the process of Vote of Confidence. According to democratic traditions, If new candidate fails to get vote of confidence then the Parliament will hang in balance— creating more possibilities of losing its moral legitimacy and inviting new elections under a government of National Consensus.
Whatsoever would possibilities be in future but one point is certain that PTI and Imran Khan have received a gift from God just three days before their power show down to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
