Hours after he fired the defence secreatary over an affidavit row with the Army, Pakistan's beleaguered prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said the top defence official had violated rules of business and had to go.
Earlier in the day, Gilani dismissed defence secreatary Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Naeem Lodhi, a move that came minutes after the military issued a terse statement responding to Gilani's comments that the Army and ISI chief had acted in an "unconstitutional" manner in filing affidavits on the memo issue without obtaining the Government's prior permission.
Also read: Gilani sacks Defence Secy as row escalates in Pak
As confrontation loomed between the government and the Army, Gilani defended Lodhi's sacking, telling reporters that it was done only after hearing the other side.
Gilani also rejected murmurs of any threat to democracy, saying it was now Pakistan's "destiny".
"The senate elections will be held on time, democracy will stay in Pakistan, democracy in Pakistan's destiny now and all institutions will function under the government," he said.
Gilani also said his government had nothing against "anybody".
"We had conducted an inquiry and the Ministry (of defence) took responses in writing, then we sent them to the Law and Justice Ministry, and after receiving their comments, we were left with no choice (but to dismiss the defence secreatary) because he did not follow the rules of business," Gilani said as reporters bombarded him with questions.
Gilani said under the lawful procedure, the defence minister, the Ministry for Law and Justice as well as the Attorney General had to be kept in loop while filing a response in the Supreme Court, but the Army Chief and the Director general of ISI filed to do so.
"They did not seek a confirmation from the minister and bypassed the Law and Justice Ministry," he said, pointing out that they sent their replies directly through the defence secreatary.
Asked if the Inter Servcies Public Relations had flouted another procedure in issuing the statement during the day, Gilani said the Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had spoken to him before the statement was released.
The ISPR statement said that Gilani's allegation that the Army chief acted in an "unconstitutional and illegal manner" had "very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country".
"He (Kayani) said he wanted to give a clarification, and I told him he should do so if he wanted to," the premier said.
Gilani said the government would submit a response to the Supreme Court's latest order asking it to reopen high-profile corruption cases, including those against Zardari.
However, he said he was "shocked" that the apex court's order issued yesterday had described him as a "dishonest" man.
"I was shocked to hear the comments of the (judge) that I am a dishonest man. I am hurt that he has said I am dishonest even without hearing me or without even talking to me," Gilani said.
The Pakistan People's Party-led government is at loggerheads with both the military and judiciary over the alleged memo that sought US help to stave off a military coup in Pakistan and the reopening of graft cases against Zardari.
The government has convened a special session of the National Assembly or lower house of parliament tomorrow to discuss the apex court's warning that action could be taken against the President and prime minister for failing to revive the corruption cases.
The army chief has convened a meeting of his top commanders tomorrow to discuss the standoff with the government over the Memogate scandal.
