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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani continues to strike defiant notes. On Wednesday, he changed his law secretary who had refused to stand by the prime minister in the Supreme Court, where he is facing contempt charges.
And talking to reporters at a hotel, the prime minister shrugged aside speculation about his resignation and said since he was the representative of 160 million people, his resignation was no small matter.
After his refusal to present himself as defence witness for the prime minister before the Supreme Court, change of Masood Chishti was very much on the cards.
According to an official statement, Mr Chishti has been transferred to the prime minister’s inspection commission as its senior member.
“Prime Minister Gilani has appointed Irfan Qadir, a senior advocate who was working as consultant (legal affairs) to the President’s Secretariat, as new Secretary of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Division with immediate effect,” said a two-paragraph statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
Former law minister Senator Babar Awan, his handpicked law secretary Masood Chishti and cabinet secretary Nargis Sethi were part of the list of witnesses whom Mr Gilani’s counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, wanted to present in the court to defend his client.
Only Ms Sethi, whom Mr Gilani praises as most trusted and efficient civil servant he has worked with, went to the court earlier this month and spoke in favour of her boss. Senator Awan and Mr Chishti decided otherwise.
Since then the PPP leadership was not happy with Mr Awan. Many in the PPP see removal of Mr Chishti a blow to Mr Awan’s position in the party because the senator is considered to be one of the close confidants of President Asif Ali Zardari.
“Change of Mr Chishti as secretary of law division has been decided after he refused to go to the court as defence witness for the prime minister. But we were looking for a replacement; the moment it was finalised we have issued the notification,” an official at the PM Secretariat told Dawn.
Much to the chagrin of the federal bureaucracy, Mr Chishti was appointed as law secretary by Mr Awan during his stint as law minister. His association with Mr Awan is an open secret in the corridors of power.
The new law secretary also has a background. In Sept 2010, Irfan Qadir’s reappointment as prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was declared illegal by the Supreme Court. But he refused to step down and asserted he had been appointed by the president, and not by the court. This led to a crisis-like situation for the government.
However, acting on the court ruling, Prime Minister Gilani ordered withdrawal of Mr Qadir’s privileges and said the court’s orders would be implemented in letter and spirit.
Afterwards, Mr Qadir went into oblivion for sometime, only to reappear on Wednesday as consultant (legal affairs) to the President’s Secretariat.
The president’s spokesperson, Senator Farhatullah Babar, said the decision to appoint Mr Qadir as law secretary had been taken only recently.
Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Prime Minister Gilani said there was no political instability in the country; all state institutions, including parliament, judiciary and a vibrant civil society, were well in place and functional.
In reply to a question about reports of his resignation and reshuffle in the federal cabinet, he said: “Cabinet reshuffle is a routine matter; my resignation is not.”
Asked about a warning by the Difa-i-Pakistan Council, a conglomerate of rightwing elements, that it wouldn’t allow reopening of Nato supply routes, the prime minister said a decision about this would be taken by parliament, and not by any individual. He said a report by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had already been presented before a joint sitting of parliament.
In reply to another question, Mr Gilani said that under Article 248 of the Constitution, it was the president’s responsibility, and not the PM’s, to ask the court for immunity.
