Govt presented realistic budget: Gilani

The government has succeeded in presenting a people-friendly budget despite the challenges and problems it faces, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Sunday.
Talking to a delegation of editors of newspapers, senior journalists, office-bearers of the Multan Press Club (MPC) and newspaper hawkers, the prime minister said the government was working hard to resolve the problems the country was facing. He said it was the best possible budget amid challenges, including global recession, security situation and the cost of infrastructure revival in the post-flood situation.
Gilani said the provinces had received more resources under the 7th NFC Award. He said the PPP was a symbol of national unity and federation and it had rendered numerous sacrifices for the cause of democracy. He said the PPP would not act like the opposition during the budget session of the Punjab Assembly which had made the National Assembly session noisy.
“The party will not adopt an undemocratic behaviour which is contrary to parliamentary traditions,” he said, adding that the party would not take any step to destabilise the Punjab government. Referring to a public demand for Seraiki province, he said the PPP manifesto committee was working on the issue which would give due consideration to the sentiments of the people. He directed the local administration to expedite work on the journalists’ colony in Multan.
He also asked them to locate a proper space for establishment of a newspapers market in the city. Meanwhile, talking to a delegation of clerics, Gilani stressed that they should also enlighten their students with worldly affairs alongside religious awareness, enabling them to play their due part in national progress. He urged the clerics to unite in the fight against terrorism and extremism as Islam preached brotherhood, peace and harmony.
Gilani said he respected the services of seminaries from the core of his heart, and wanted to take them on board in mainstream affairs of the state. He said seminaries were a source of published preaching of Islam, and their service for the religious cause could not be ignored. Expressing immediate acceptance of all the demands of the seminaries, Gilani directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take the leadership of Wafaqal Madaris into confidence.
The prime minister also met delegations from the Multan High Court District Bar. Talking to them, he said lawyers had played an important and leading role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy and independence of the judiciary. The prime minister also directed the district administration to expedite the pace of work on the project of a judicial complex.
He announced Rs 20 million for a lawyers’ colony and Rs 5 million for the Lawyers Welfare Fund.