Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani rejected on Sunday the opposition’s call for mid-term elections, saying it was time for local government elections in the country. “The government has passed its fourth budget and will request the PML-N leadership to prepare for the next elections as the time for mid-term polls is over,” Gilani told reporters.
He said the opposition was not giving a tough time to the government as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had the support of people. He said former premier Benazir Bhutto had given the vision of politics of reconciliation, foreseeing that in future only coalition governments would be formed and that no single party would be in a position to take an outright majority of seats in parliament.
He said that from day one, he believed in the politics of reconciliation, which brought about benefits as the government succeeded in unanimous passing of the 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments and the approval of the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. Gilani said he was pleased that the PML-N accepted the government’s viewpoint regarding reconciliation politics by stating that it was ready to talk to theMQM.
“Without reconciliation, politics cannot succeed in the country. We will continue our politics of reconciliation,” he added. To a question, Gilani said that the government did not allow the use of Pakistani airbases to the US for drone attacks. The previous government, he said, had allowed the use of airbases for surveillance purposes only.
Gilani eyes the finish line, sees no mid-term polls
