Kaira terms Nawaz’s statement as puzzling News

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday expressed surprise on the recent statement of PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif in which he claimed that the Federal Government had wanted to implicate him and his younger brother in the assassination case of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer while Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani came to their rescue.

"The statement is really puzzling", said Kaira.

He said that according to Article 90 of the Constitution as amended through the 18th Amendment, the Prime Minister and ministers together constitute the Federal Government and if Gilani "rescued" the Sharifs, then it means the Federal Government rescued them.

"This government is led by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, it is surprising, therefore, to dangerously allege that the government is doing one thing while the Premier is doing another", he added.

Kaira said that the PPP-led government did not believe in victimization of its opponents.

He said that there was no political prisoner in the country today and the credit for this went to the reconciliatory politics of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, President Asif Ali Zardri and Prime Minister Gilani.

"The PPP believes in politics of peaceful co-existence and across the board reconciliation. The government is taking along people and political parties of all shades and opinion", he added.

He urged Nawaz Sharif to avoid issuing such statements in future.

The minister said that Governor Taseer was a political personality and holding a political office and was killed on political basis.

However, the PPP government has neither accused nor implicated the executive head of the Punjab Government on his "shahadat", he added.

Kaira said that the matter was in the court of law now and everybody should facilitate the legal process in order to punish the culprit in accordance with the law of the land.