Zardari asks people not to allow change through force

Against the backdrop of a row between Pakistan's civilian government and military over a memo alleging an army plot to seize power, President Asif Ali Zardari today asked people not to allow any change through ''force and intimidation''.

The ballot should be respected as the instrument of change, said Zardari, who has been facing pressure from the military establishment since Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz made public the memo that sought the US help to stave off a coup in May.
In a message issued to mark the 136th birth anniversary of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Zardari said: "The Quaid (Jinnah) believed that any change must be brought about by ballot and rejected change by bullet.

"Let us pledge that we will not allow any change through force and intimidation and respect the power of ballot as the instrument of change."

Amid rampant speculation about the President's resignation due to pressure from the military, Zardari said that during dictatorships in the past, the welfare of the people "took a back seat and security concerns became predominant as the country faced extremism and militancy".

"We need to create conditions whereby the welfare of the people is the dominant concern of the state," he said.

Zardari asked people to "forge unity in their ranks to preserve and protect their democratic and political rights and make Pakistan a country where egalitarianism prevailed".

The people should rededicate themselves to Jinnah's democratic ideals and principles and reiterate their resolve to defeat the forces "that seek to undermine the nation's founding principles", he said. Jinnah stood for "constitutionalism, rule of law, respect for human rights, pluralism and honouring the mandate of the people", Zardari said.

"We should never lose sight of our national goalpost. This indeed is our compass in a turbulent sea," he added.

"Let us pledge on this day to reclaim Quaid-e-Azam's Pakistan and unleash the creative powers of the people through freedom, justice, the rule of law and an end to terrorism and violence," Zardari said.

In a separate message, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani too asked the people to forge unity in their ranks and follow Jinnah's message of unity, faith and disciple to overcome challenges facing Pakistan.

Sharp differences have emerged between the government and the army over the memogate scandal.

The government has said President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani played no role in drafting or delivering the memo to the then US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen.
The chiefs of the army and ISI have said there is adequate evidence that the memo exists.

They have asked the Supreme Court, which has admitted several petitions seeking a probe into the memogate scandal, to order an investigation.

The government has challenged the apex court's jurisdiction to hear these petitions, saying the matter is being investigated by a Parliamentary panel.