Davos:
Describing Pakistani Parliament as the "new kid on the block", Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar today said a "little bit of elbowing" was taking place in Pakistan but things would "very soon fall in place".
"It is not such that as it may appear to the outside world. It is a new kid on the block called the Parliament in Pakistan. People are still to get used to this fact," Khar said when asked if the Pakistani judiciary was going a bit too far.
She added, "A little bit of elbowing is happening but it is not so bad back in Pakistan. Things would very soon fall in place."
Khar, who was speaking during a debate on 'Democracy' at the World Economic Forum summit being held here, also took a dig at the "developed world" who she said had supported military dictatorship in Pakistan.
Speaking about the military, she said some of the most matured and established democracies from all over the world have supported the non-civilian governments in Pakistan.
"Many undemocratic regimes have remained in many other countries also. The support from the developed world has indeed come for military leaderships in Pakistan," she said.
Her comments come in the backdrop of the intense stand-off that the Pakistani civilian government had with the judiciary and the powerful military over the past few weeks.
The first trigger was the memo scandal late last year which threw the government in a political whirlpool that led to speculations of a possible military coup.
Even before the matter rested, the government and the judiciary were on a collision course over Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's refusal to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani was even forced to appear in person before the apex court after it issued him a contempt notice.
Speaking on the ripple effect of the Arab Spring in Pakistan, Khar said it would have been very different had it about five or six years back when a "non-representative" government was in place in Pakistan.
"But now we have a truly representative government. For example, in many of the countries, the freedom of the media is unparalleled in Pakistan, may be even better than some of the most developed countries of the world.
"Even the judiciary...In the last year of Musharraf government also, there was judicial protest that included people from all walks of life -- the lawyers, common people and the villagers. The ripple effect at that stage would have been different but not today".
She said the biggest issue before Pakistan is to ensure food for everyone. "Because of the fact that democracy is getting the roots in Pakistan, the scenario has changed," she said.
"It is not such that as it may appear to the outside world. It is a new kid on the block called the Parliament in Pakistan. People are still to get used to this fact," Khar said when asked if the Pakistani judiciary was going a bit too far.
She added, "A little bit of elbowing is happening but it is not so bad back in Pakistan. Things would very soon fall in place."
Khar, who was speaking during a debate on 'Democracy' at the World Economic Forum summit being held here, also took a dig at the "developed world" who she said had supported military dictatorship in Pakistan.
Speaking about the military, she said some of the most matured and established democracies from all over the world have supported the non-civilian governments in Pakistan.
"Many undemocratic regimes have remained in many other countries also. The support from the developed world has indeed come for military leaderships in Pakistan," she said.
Her comments come in the backdrop of the intense stand-off that the Pakistani civilian government had with the judiciary and the powerful military over the past few weeks.
The first trigger was the memo scandal late last year which threw the government in a political whirlpool that led to speculations of a possible military coup.
Even before the matter rested, the government and the judiciary were on a collision course over Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's refusal to ask Switzerland to re-open graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani was even forced to appear in person before the apex court after it issued him a contempt notice.
Speaking on the ripple effect of the Arab Spring in Pakistan, Khar said it would have been very different had it about five or six years back when a "non-representative" government was in place in Pakistan.
"But now we have a truly representative government. For example, in many of the countries, the freedom of the media is unparalleled in Pakistan, may be even better than some of the most developed countries of the world.
"Even the judiciary...In the last year of Musharraf government also, there was judicial protest that included people from all walks of life -- the lawyers, common people and the villagers. The ripple effect at that stage would have been different but not today".
She said the biggest issue before Pakistan is to ensure food for everyone. "Because of the fact that democracy is getting the roots in Pakistan, the scenario has changed," she said.
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