Amid speculation of a military-backed regime change, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Monday joined hands with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to “resolve to protect and defend” the democratic process.
That all issues will be resolved within the ambit of the Constitution was also decided, according to a statement put out by the government on the much-talked about meeting in the President's House this afternoon. The meeting — which went on for an hour-and-a-half — came on a day when a stand-off was anticipated between the government and the Supreme Court over the re-opening of cases against Mr. Zardari in Swiss courts. However, with the Supreme Court accepting the government's request for more time to implement its judgement on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), the showdown was averted.
The Supreme Court has now given the government time till October 13 to prepare its case relating to the implementation of the NRO verdict of last November. Besides the President, there are other Ministers who are NRO beneficiaries. On reopening the cases against Mr. Zardari, the government's contention is that it goes against the immunity that he enjoys by virtue of being the President.
About the speculation of a regime change, Mr. Gilani again maintained that the present dispensation was not going anywhere. “All those who are indulging in rumour mongering are in for a disappointment.”
