Internal bickerings worry Aziz, calls for unity

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Islamabad, Jul 13 (UNI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has a major problem in his hands which he is finding difficult to grapple with.

His cabinet ministers are openly discussing their internal differences or grievances against him, sullying the image of the government.

Mr Aziz was compelled yesterday to ask his cabinet members not to air their internal differences or any grievances against him in drawing rooms and instead, approach him in person.

''Please don't propagate in drawing rooms or closed-door gatherings if you have any differences with a colleague or a grievance against me. Come to me in person and I will try to resolve the issue,'' The News quoted the Prime Minister as telling his cabinet members.

Mr Aziz, under fire from his colleagues over Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Tariq Hassan's resignation and stock market crash, asserted, ''I am an open man.

I will never indulge myself in any business or venture while I am running the government.'' President General Pervez Musharraf is also scheduled to meet the cabinet members at the Prime Minister's House in an effort to stress unity in the ruling coalition, cabinet, as well as the ruling party ranks and file as many an insider think ''internal bickering'' and ''leg-pulling'' by the ruling party stalwarts is the biggest threat they face at the moment.

Meanwhile, in the cabinet meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan asked the Prime Minister to clarify his position regarding the allegations against him after the stock market crash, much to the embarrassment of the premier.

On Mr Aziz's instance Finance Minister Omar Ayub Khan apprised the cabinet of the situation but it failed to satisfy them with a member calling it ''Largely technical language...not understandable for majority of members.'' The Prime Minister told the member that Mr Tariq Hassan was willing to take back his resignation. He said Mr Hassan told him that he wanted to continue, in a meeting with him, but he accepted his resignation only after consulting Attorney General Sharifuddin Pirzada about it.

The former SECP Chairman had levelled serious allegations of malpractices against the Prime Minister's economic team against the backdrop of the stock market crash. The controversy is continuing till date, even when Adviser on Finance Dr Salman Shah and Minister of State Omar Ayub have clarified their positions and have termed the allegations baseless.

Differences among cabinet members again came to the fore on the issue of Fokker planes when Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal proposed permanent grounding of the planes after one such plane crashed near Multan on Monday, while Defence Secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Tariq Wasim Ghazi saying the planes could be used for cargo purposes and should not be grounded permanently.

However, there was a general consensus to ground the planes permanently, and this view prevailed in the end.

UNI XC YA AT HT1435

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