Gilani repeats his ‘won’t write Swiss letter’ mantra

Repeating his refusal to write a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Friday that he would not have entered the political arena if he was scared of tense situations.
While addressing the annual convocation of Kinnaird College for Woman, Gilani expressed certainty that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would become the only party to have successfully completed its five-year tenure. He said the PPP government had given liberty to the media unlike any past government. He said more freedoms would be given to journalists, adding, “When journalists criticise us, our sins are washed off, and the criticism takes us to further heights.”
He said President Zardari would make history on Saturday (today) by addressing the parliament’s session for the fifth time. “He will give policy statement in his address, but I would like to reveal that we will give relief to the people in the upcoming budget,” the prime minister said, adding that his government would become the first to announce the budget for the fifth time in a single tenure. While commenting about the tenure of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, he said the army chief would complete his tenure in 2013, along with the chief justice, president and the parliament.
He urged the female students to work hard in the modern world of competitions. He said Benazir Bhutto had “served women throughout her life, as she was a great advocate of women rights”. He said his government would provide 100,000 jobs for the youth in the upcoming federal budget. “I have passed directions to the Ministry of Finance to create 100,000 jobs so that the educated youth could get employment. The Ministry for Information Technology is under the prime minister, and I am also initiating several IT programmes for the people,” Gilani said. He said that women could bring a positive change in the society, and that his government had taken several steps to empower women. He said his government had introduced legislation on the harassment of women. The PM also quoted Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that no nation could progress without including women in the mainstream, and that steps must be taken to empower women in every sector. The PM said that his government was taking keen interest to resolve the issues of women and minorities, and that the students of Kinnaird College had the distinguished status in both educational and co-curricular activities.
The Prime Minister also announced a grant of Rs 20 million for the construction of IT Block; Rs 10 million as research grant; Rs 10 million for Endowment Fund; and Rs 10 million for the purchase of vehicles for the college. Separately in Khanewal, the prime minister visited the residence of deceased MNA Major (r) Aftab Ahmad Khan Daha, and condoled with his family members. He also held a meeting with Sardar Hamid Yar Haraj, PM’s adviser and chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), at his residence. He promised to build a ladies’ park on the Railways’ land in Khanewal. A delegation of Khanewal Press Club led by its president Tahir Naseem also met the prime minister. Gilani announced an annual grant of Rs 1 million for the press club.