Trump should retract his tweet, says Abbasi

islamabad — Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday said US President Donald Trump should retract his tweet about Pakistan and tender an apology.

In a TV programme ‘Zehra at Eight’ hosted by renowned columnist Naseem Zehra, he said the government of Pakistan had strongly responded to the tweet.

Responding to a question, the prime minister said opposition leader Imran Khan should tender an apology for his insulting remarks against parliament.

He said everybody has a right to express their opinion under the constitution and nobody could be deprived of this right but whatever Imran Khan said about parliament was incorrect.

Abbasi said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif only expressed his opinion about a court verdict which was his constitutional right but he never abused any institution. He said the democratic system had evolved in other countries while in Pakistan it was still growing. If the democratic process in Pakistan had been allowed to continue certain things would not have happened.

He said the courts had the powers to decide a case. The verdict against the former prime minister was implemented but people did not accept it neither the history would accept it.

There were other court cases which had not been accepted as well, he said and referred to the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case. Three judges in the Bhutto case had conceded that they announced the judgment under pressure.

He said the right to appeal had not been granted in the Panama case. However, the verdict in the instant case would not become a precedent and the debate over it would continue.