The spokesman of President Mamnoon Hussain rejected allegations levelled by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) about ‘political meetings’ of the president, and clarified he had no political ambitions.“The president held a meeting in Islamabad with a PML-N delegation from Sindh in his personal capacity,” the president’s spokesman said in an official statement.The spokesman also rejected the notion that Hussain may lead the election campaign for local government elections in Sindh. Before becoming president, Hussain had an active political role in Sindh and enjoyed grass-root ties with workers, which is why the workers requested for a meeting which the president accepted, clarified his spokesman. The court decision had a debilitating effect on the party. It hampered the activities of Mr Zardari, who was the pivot the PPP revolved around, as he was prevented from having PPP meetings at the presidency and from presiding over any party gatherings elsewhere. Affected quarters criticised the ruling, terming it as discriminatory, hostile to democracy and even an infringement of the rights of an individual. The difference here is that while Mr Zardari was both the president of the country and an active party co-chairman, Mr Hussain has been more discreet when it comes to publicly indicating his political preferences — he is hardly likely to be judicially reprimanded on this count.Nevertheless, no amount of justification from the PML-N is going to change the fact that what was considered valid for Mr Zardari as president must also be legally binding on his successors in the presidency — although, instead of viewing it through the lens of discrimination, the PPP would do better to see the neutrality of the president’s office as a principle that must be accepted by all political parties. At the moment, it is more concerned with pointing out how one decree can treat two presidents differently, seeking to build upon perceptions of how it has been a victim of the legal system in times where it is under increasing threat of being held accountable for its deeds by the law.Meanwhile, in giving his assent to the legislative business of the state, and issuing ordinances, for example, the president is not totally divorced from the ‘politics’ of the country.However, his is largely a ceremonial role and should be kept as such as he is instructed by the Constitution to “represent the unity of the republic” — and one of the most effective ways of doing so would be to distance himself from the activities of political parties.
pk.shafaqna.com
