Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that no “caretaker” or “chair-taker” government would be put in place in the country, and “Pakistan’s PM is the strongest man at present”.
“He will neither go upward nor downward, and will not go inside or outside,” Gilani said while talking to reporters after attending the inaugural of Air University, Multan Campus as chief guest. “I had already said that the Senate polls would take pace first and then the budget would be presented,” he said. “We are elected representatives and represent the nation,” the prime minister added.
He said that Pakistan’s decision on Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline would be based on its own interests, and the country’s leadership would not succumb to any pressure in this regard. Gilani said Pakistan would build ties with other countries including Iran keeping in view its own interests. He said the country would not budge to foreign pressure as it had an elected government.
Answering a query on the current status of relations with the Unites States, the premier said ties with the US faced ups and downs. In response to a question, he said the demand for Seraiki province was not his, but of the people. “Several conspiracies are being hatched against the Seraiki province,” he said. “Someone says Thal province should be created, another says Bahawalpur province be formed. In fact, the issue of Seraiki province is very vital, as Bahawalpur is part of the Seraiki province,” he added. Gilani said his party would amend the constitution to allow the creation of Seraiki province.
Earlier, while addressing the participants of Air University inaugural ceremony, the prime minister said that universities were “treasures of knowledge”, and modern knowledge could put Pakistan on the road to progress. He said the provincial government had launched a computer awareness campaign, and billions of rupees had been provided to the provinces so that students could benefit from computer technology.
Gilani said the government would not slap restrictions on media, but would rather give more freedom to it. He said the country was passing through an evolutionary phase, and that all institutions would have to work within their ambit. Speaking on the occasion, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said that Air University, Multan would provide an opportunity to the students of backward areas to seek modern knowledge.
No caretaker, ‘chair-taker’ govt to come: PM
