Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
on Thursday said that there were no differences with the powerful
military on the meomogate issue that has shaken Pakistani
establishment but ruled out calling businessman Mansoor Ijaz
to join the probe.
Weeks into the controversy, Gilani said, speculations
were rife on the scandal, but ruled out any "threat" to his
government.
"Everyone is playing to the gallery" but he claimed that
all stakeholders in the country, including the military were
"all together".
A day after the Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani was
sacked the Prime Minister said there was no plans of the
government to call Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor
Ijaz, who had made the memo public.
Ijaz`s revelations that he had drafted and delivered the
memo, allegedly on Haqqani`s instructions, sparked a storm in
Pakistan`s political circles.
Claiming that the decisions on the issue were being taken
jointly the Prime Minister said, "The decision that was taken,
we were all together."
Gilani said, an investigation will be conducted at the
"highest level" to get to the truth behind the secret memo
sent to the US military seeking help to prevent a possible
military coup in Pakistan.
A "free and fair" investigation will be done at the
"highest level" into what the media is referring as the
`Memogate` scandal, Gilani told reporters on the sidelines of
an official function.
Gilani said he had given an assurance in parliament that
Pakistan`s former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, would
be summoned to give an explanation to the country’s leadership
on the memo.
"He came back and he was asked to resign, the probe is
being done," he said.
According to the memo, the Pakistan government
purportedly wanted American help to prevent a possible
military takeover after the US raid that killed Osama bin
Laden on May 2.
The memo committed the government to a national security
revamp and action against intelligence officials with links to
militants.
"There was a controversy over national security and
justice demanded a fair investigation.
In his (Haqqani`s) presence, that could not be done.
So he has resigned," Gilani said.
PTI
