2009: The year in quotes

January:
“Why would she leave it to me if she didn’t think I was fit enough?”

President Asif Ali Zardari in an interview with journalist Christina Lamb on Benazir Bhutto bequeathing control of the PPP to him in a controversial 17-page will.

February:

“It’s not a judicial decision, it’s an edict….It amounts to stabbing me in the back.”

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif alleging that the Supreme Court’s decision to make him and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, ineligible to contest elections or hold public offices was ordered directly by President Zardari.

March:

“I restore the deposed chief justice and others according to the promise made by me and the president.”

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announces the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary who was deposed by former President General Pervez Musharraf.

April:

“We direct that till final disposal of the main petitions under review, the operation of February 25, 2009 shall remain suspended and the petitioner (Shahbaz Sharif) shall assume the chief minister’s office with immediate effect.”

The Supreme Court restores Shahbaz Sharif as Chief Minister of Punjab.

May:

“The medical board has reported that Shoaib Akhtar was suffering from genital viral warts and the wound needs further care and treatment for a minimum 10 days for the purpose of healing and to achieve skin cover.”

The PCB on why cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was dropped from the Twenty20 team.

June:

“I’m not in favour of American broadcasting, I am in favour of strong broadcasting by independent stations like [Radio Buraq]…. There’s not going to be an American radio station in western Pakistan.”

US Special envoy Richard Holbrooke on how the US intends to win the information war against the ‘FM mullahs’ in the Frontier province.

July:

“So long as Article 6 (high treason) is part of the Constitution, parliament is debarred from even condoning unconstitutional acts of (a) usurper, what to talk of validating, affirming and adopting the same.”

The Supreme Court declaring General Musharraf’s November 2007 emergency rule and any future endorsements of military takeovers illegal and unconstitutional.

August:

“This is one hundred per cent. We have no doubt about his death…..he is dead and buried.”

Pakistani official announcing the death of the chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed by a US Predator drone attack.

September:

“Mujhay yeh pata hai, mainay kamaskum Heera Mandi se nahi shura kiya tha. Itna mujhay pata hai…. Mera career as a prostitute start nahi howa tha. Mujhay is baat ka fakhr hai.”

[I know that, at least, I didn’t start from Heera Mandi. I know this much: my career didn’t begin as a prostitute. I am proud of this fact.]

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan in a heated on-air argument on a televised talk show with PML-Q member Kashmala Tariq who previously had called the PPP minister a ‘lota’ in reference to her defection from the PML-Q to the PPP.

October:

“No security-related assistance may be provided to Pakistan in a fiscal year until the Secretary of State, under the direction of the President, makes the certification (that) … the Government of Pakistan has made progress on matters such as ceasing support, including by any elements within the Pakistan military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks against United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, or against the territory or people of neighboring countries.”

Conditions stipulated in the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (the Kerry Lugar bill) on limitations of military aid to Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyse and respond to the (terrorist) threat in accordance with her own national interests…. The forum expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting on National Security.”

Statement issued by the public relations wing of the Pakistani military on the Kerry Lugar bill in a meeting held by Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Perwez Kiyani.

November:

“We will be the back after right… we will be the back after right short break… ye toilet kitna duur hai… can we rehase… reharse… rehearsal.”

Secret footage showing Pakistani actress Meera attempting to speak English in an interview she’s conducting with fashion photographer Tapu Javeri.

December:

“We would again become Pakistan’s brother if Pakistan ends its support for America.”

Pakistan Taliban commander Walilur Rahman

“Corruption peh hamara haq nai hai? Auron ka hai. Yeh to culture ban chuka hai. Agar jo nai karta wo nuksaan karha apna. Hazaar meh se ek admi corruption nai karta, wo to apna nuksaan karta hai.”

[Don’t we have a right to corruption? Others do. This has become a culture. Whoever doesn’t do it, they’ll find they’re ruining themselves. In a thousand, if one man doesn’t do corruption, he’s ruining himself.]

PPP minister Sardar Abdul Qayum Jatoi in a current affairs show interview.

We invites our readers to submit their favourite quotes from 2009.

Gilani, Nawaz discuss accountability law

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif discussed on Sunday salient features of the draft of a new accountability law which the government plans to introduce.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s House told Dawn that Mr Gilani called Mr Sharif for consultations on the draft.

Through the proposed law, the government plans to set up an ehtesab commission which will replace the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) constituted by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Sharif told the prime minister that his party had already sent back the draft to the government and suggested some amendments.

The PML-N chief expressed the hope that the suggestions would be incorporated into the final draft and the bill would soon be tabled in parliament.

The prime minister assured Mr Sharif that the government would seriously consider PML-N’s proposals.

He said the new law would be “comprehensive in nature” and acceptable to all political parties.

Expressing the hope that the new law would help eliminate the culture of political victimisation, Mr Gilani said it had been drafted to meet future requirements.

The prime minister said he would continues with his politics of reconciliation and his government would not take any major step without consulting all the parties.

The two leaders decided to stop office-bearers and workers of their parties from issuing statements against each other.

When Mr Sharif informed the prime minister about his planned visits to Sindh and Balochistan next week, Mr Gilani asked him to help the government implement the Balochistan package.

He said the government was making all possible efforts to remove the sense of deprivation of the Baloch people.

The PML-N chief assured the prime minister that his party would help the government in its efforts to resolve the Balochistan issue, the spokesman said.

On the issue of the 17th Amendment, the prime minister said the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms would hold its meetings on a daily basis from Tuesday.

It may be recalled that the PML-N had earlier rejected the proposed Accountability Commission Bill 2009, alleging that several changes had been made to the draft after its approval in July by the parliamentary committee concerned.

The party had declared that it would not accept any loose amendment to the draft including its Clause 24 which says: “No holder of public office shall be prosecuted, after three years of the expiry of his term or of his ceasing to hold office, for an offence which he is alleged to have committed during his tenure.”

Another controversial clause stated: “No proceeding under this act shall lie against the holder of public office against anything which has been done in good faith or in pursuance of or in exercise of powers vested in him or believed to be vested in him, or intended to be done at the material time by virtue of this office.”

Earlier, talking to a group of journalists, the prime minister said: “We should have immediately implemented the CoD as it was signed by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. Not implementing the CoD immediately was the biggest mistake.”

He reiterated the government’s resolve to implement the charter.

The prime minister was scheduled to visit Lakki Marwat to meet the injured and the families of the victims of Friday’s suicide attack, but could not leave because of bad weather.

APP adds: The prime minister said successful military operations in Malakand and South Waziristan to curb terrorism and militancy, the Aghaz Huqooq-i-Balochistan Package, signing of the Seventh National Finance Commission (NFC) Award with consensus and the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order were major achievements of the government.

He said the government had given political ownership to the war against terrorism by mobilising public support and taking all political forces onboard.

“It is Pakistan’s own war and not a proxy war,” he said.

The prime minister said the recent series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks was a reaction to the successful military operation in South Waziristan.

“Pakistan has the ability, will and resolve to strongly fight terrorism and militancy and will be successful in eliminating this menace. But it needs support in capacity building.”

He said Pakistan was determined to fight terrorism because it had paid a heavy price in the war in the form of economic and human losses.

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Third-time PM bar to go, says Gilani

GWADAR: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated his government’s resolve to restore the 1973 Constitution in its original form and vowed to do away with the restriction on a person becoming prime minister for the third time.

Speaking at a ceremony held here on Wednesday for the signing of the 7th NFC Award, the prime minister said that constitutional amendments made by dictators would be scrapped.

He said those who violated the Constitution needed to be punished. The prime minister said he wanted strengthening of institutions, not of individuals.

He said the 17th Amendment and Article 58(2)b would be removed from the Constitution and a constitutional committee was working in this regard.

He said Nawab Akbar Bugti was a great supporter of the federation and had worked with the Quaid-i-Azam and those responsible for his murder must be prosecuted.

The prime minister termed the announcement of a consensus NFC award a “dividend of democracy” and reflection of the commitment of the nation to strengthen the federation. He said democracy had achieved something which a dictatorship could never do.

He said the ’73 Constitution was an achievement of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and it strengthened the federation.

He said the government believed in working in cooperation with smaller provinces and the efforts of years of neglect would be addressed on a priority basis. He said the provinces would get political and financial autonomy.

The prime minister said the Gwadar port would usher in an era of progress and prosperity for Balochistan.

Mr Gilani said he wanted to set up a National Vocational and Technical Education centre in Gwadar to train local people who would be given preference in all jobs.

He said the educational requirement for appointment in Coast Guards would be lowered to the middle level to enable more local people to get jobs.

The prime minister announced that 20,000 jobs would be given to people of Balochistan which would help alleviate poverty and empower local people.

He said work on an international airport in Gwadar would be completed on schedule.

He said the port on Gwadar would succeed only if it was connected to the rest of the country and the finance minister should expedite release of funds for the purpose.

He called for speeding up work for import of 110 megawatts from Iran. He announced that a girls college with a hostel would be built in Gwadar.

He asked the chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme to visit the area and ensure that deserving people had access to the scheme. The minister for overseas Pakistanis announced that his ministry would fund the setting up of a school in Gwadar.

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Historic NFC award inked

GWADAR: The Chief Ministers of four provinces on Wednesday signed the historic 7th National Finance Commission Award, marking a great step forward to the strengthening of the federation.

The ceremony at Gwadar, in Balochistan province, was witnessed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and members of his cabinet.

The venue was specially chosen to reflect the desire of all provinces to end years of deprivation of the country’s largest province.

The Award was inked by the finance ministers of the four provinces in the presence of Punjab Chief Minster Shahbaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti and Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani and Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.

The new Award would come into effect from the next financial year and marks the agreement by all the federating units over the distribution of financial resources among the provinces by the federal government on an annual basis.

Under the award population will be given 82 per cent weightage, poverty 10.3 per cent, revenue collection five per cent (2.5 per cent revenue generation, 2.5 per cent revenue collection) and area 2.7 per cent.

Under the new NFC Award, the federation met the demand of the provincial governments for a greater share in national resources.

The provincial share of the divisible pool would increase from 47.5 per cent to 56 per cent in the first year of NFC and 57.5 per cent in the remaining years of the Award.

Under the new formula, Punjab would get 51.74 per cent from the divisible pool, Sindh 24.55 per cent, NWFP 14.62 per cent and Balochistan 9.09 per cent.

In the new award, Punjab has given up 1.27 per cent, Sindh 0.39 per cent and NWFP 0.26 per cent, while Balochistan has gained.