Imposition of emergency a constitutional step: Pak minister

Islamabad, Nov 3: Pakistan"s Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Tariq Azeem, has said that the imposition of emergency was a constitutional step in certain conditions but no such decision had so far been taken in this regard.

Azeem said rumour factories were working overtime in the country and spreading confusion, Geo TV reported.

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He said if the current law and order situation prevailed, the imposition of emergency as a constitutional step could be considered but, at present, there was no such thinking.

Replying to a question, Azeem said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance was Pakistan's domestic issue and no country, including the US, had the right to intervene in this regard.

He said that the people would decide the country"s future leadership and outsiders had no mandate to make any choices.

Azeem said the election tussle would be between the PML-Q and the PPP, and ruled out any chances of an electoral alliance between the two parties.

He also said that said some cases against Benazir Bhutto and her spouse were in foreign countries and the Pakistan Government was not a party in them.

For example, he said the corruption charges against the company of Bhutto in the oil for food scam were being probed in a Spanish court, adding the case was initiated in 2004 so it was not covered in the NRO.

He said the government, in a bid to hold free and fair elections in the country, had introduced the NRO, but Bhutto's response to it was not positive, media reported.

ANI
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