The President and the PM's dubious statements

Whilst addressing the party members on August 4th, President Asif Zardari spoke about Pervaiz Musharaf's statement in which he said that he would have remained as president if Benazir was alive. Without attempting to contradict the statement, AZ bragged that he had removed him from the presidency.

The next day, the PM in the parliament, responding to a hard hitting speech from Ch Nisar in which he demanded a trial of the former president, announced that if the parliament "˜unanimously' passed a resolution, he (the PM) would support the trial.

Two points stand prominent in the two statements; first, Mr Zardari did not challenge Musharaf's stand on Benazir's commitment given to him; second, Mr Gilani, gave a twist by adding the word unanimous in the passage of resolution, knowing that earlier Ch Shujat declared that his party would oppose such a resolution.

In the two statements; the former put Benazir Bhutto hand in glove with Pervaiz Musharaf vis-a-vis a disputed understanding; and the latter hinted to protect the ex-president in his trial. Next few weeks will prove whether it was slip of tongue or tongue in cheek when they gave such dubious statements.