Nobody can forgive constitution-violators: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in National Assembly (NA), Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Thursday said the Punjab government was not taken into confidence over sugar price adding the sugar crisis emerged owing to hoarding and black-marketing.

Addressing the National Assembly, he said forgiving the violators of the constitution is tantamount to the betrayal of the country.

Ch. Nisar said the government is not prepared to take any action against Pervez Musharraf; this is regrettable, adding, ‘We walk out over disappointing speech of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday.’

Chaudhry Nisar said, ‘We do not accept the announcement of the PM Gilani regarding forgiveness to Musharraf,’ adding no one including Zardari, Bilawal, Nawaz Sharif, Asfandyar Wali and Fazlur Rehman can forgive the violators of law and constitution.

He added his party will keep on raising the issue of Musharraf’s trial.

The sugar price has been increased in the interest of sugar-hoarders not the people, Nisar said, adding it has been decided in Punjab to set ex-mill price of sugar at Rs45/kg and the efforts would be made to enforce the same sugar price in other provinces.

Chaudhry Nisar said if the government withdraws Rs5 of excise duty, then sugar price would further be taken down to Rs40/kg.

‘We turn up to parliament not to safeguard our sugar mills; instead, we have come to the House to protect the rights and interests of the common man.’

On this occasion, he said he was made the chairman of Public Accounts Committee not because of President, adding, ‘I have been made PAC chairman under Charter of Democracy.’

He added, ‘If this office is a favour by President Asif Ali Zardari, then I am prepared to resign tomorrow.’

Later on, the PML-N staged a token walkout from the house over PPP’s indisposition to take any action against Pervez Musharraf.

Later, Minister for parliamentary affairs Babar Awan, addressing the House, said the PM Gilani wants to build up a bridge ahead not the walls, adding he reitereated the resolve to frustrate everyone who wants to create rifts in the party.

Awan said there is nothing like minus-one and if there is no democracy, then everything will go minus.