“The prime minister will be calm and polite in his speech and will laud the role of judiciary,” a PPP leader said on Sunday. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Reciprocating the Supreme Court’s soft stance on the issue of relegation of Establishment Secretary Sohail Ahmed to the ineffective bureaucratic position of ‘officer on special duty’, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in his address to the National Assembly on Monday will praise the role of the apex court, according to sources privy to a decision taken by the government.

“The prime minister will be calm and polite in his speech and will laud the role of judiciary,” a PPP leader told this correspondent on Sunday.

The prime minister had earlier planned to deliver a hard-hitting speech in the assembly, but after the apex court’s softened stance he changed his mind. And now his prepared speech has been modified.“We respect institutions, no question of fighting, we have implemented court’s verdicts and will do so in future, some people entertain the hope of a clash but they are destined to be disappointed,” the PPP leader said.

The PPP and its partners in the ruling coalition had decided on Thursday at a meeting jointly presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to defend the ‘supremacy of parliament’ and the sole authority of the executive to post and transfer government employees.

The meeting held at the presidency had decided that the prime minister would address the National Assembly on Monday to present the government’s stance.

The coalition partners had expressed their resolve to pay any cost, even losing their government, but not to compromise on the supremacy of parliament and the Constitution.

The Supreme Court on Thursday had given a 24-hour deadline to Prime Minister Gilani to restore the establishment secretary, who on Tuesday issued a notification regarding transfer of Inspector General of Police of Gilgit-Baltistan Hussain Asghar to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) so that he could resume investigation into the Haj scam in which close aides of the prime minister were allegedly involved.

However, the apex court showed restraint in its order on Friday and allowed the government to post Sohail Ahmed to an equivalent position within seven days and said Hussain Asghar be sent to the FIA whenever he was relieved by the Gilgit-Baltistan government.