Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said only the Parliament and political forces had powers to take political and administrative decisions.
Addressing a press conference, Kaira said, “We welcome all parties, who want to do politics according to the constitution. We will not support those, who want to impose their agenda through force”. He said President Asif Ali Zardari strengthened democracy by transferring all his powers to the prime minister and the Parliament. He said during the last four and a half years, the PPP-led government had faced many internal and external challenges, including terrorism, law and order in Swat and Malakand, energy crisis, threat of being isolated internationally, economic recession, food crisis and floods. About his government’s achievements, the information minister said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had brought all political forces of the country under one platform and freed Swat and Malakand from the clutches of terrorists.
He said the government brought Pakistan out of international isolation. “The government managed to get assistance form the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum through coordinated efforts,” said Kaira. He said the government had made the country self-sufficient in wheat. “Today the country is exporting wheat and sugar while it had to import wheat in the past,” he added.
He said the government granted autonomy to the provinces through the NFC Award under which 70 percent resources were being transferred to the federating units. An equitable system of resource distribution has been devised, under which the provinces got an additional amount of Rs 1,000 billion, he added.
Replying to a question, Kaira said there were no obstacles in holding of general elections on time. The caretaker government will be set up till March 16 after the dissolution of assemblies and consultation in this regard will be started soon, he added.
He said the criterion of selecting the caretaker set-up was laid down in the constitution which was that the leader of the House and leader of the opposition would decide on the head of the caretaker government. If both fail to evolve a consensus, then a committee will finalise the names, he said. In case of the committee’s failure, the election commission has the right to take a decision, he added.
Kaira said the PPP believed in the politics of ideology, not of caste and creed.
About Minjhajul Quran chief Tahirul Qadari, he said the government would respect his viewpoint in accordance with the constitution.
“Allama Tahirul Qadri should seek people’s support through popular public vote as no one can be allowed to oppose the constitution,” Kaira said.
He said during Pervez Musharraf’s regime, Tahirul Qadari left the country due to some reasons, but it was the democratic government that allowed him to come back.
Replying to another question, he said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had spent a major chunk of the provincial budget on development of Lahore, depriving South Punjab of its right.
Kaira said Sharif had raised the slogan of “Jaag Punjabi Jaag” but ignored the development of South Punjab.
Yes. But only a Parliament which comprises of honest and honourable members.This is not the case here, hence it has no right to take any decisions.You would argue that they were elected.My foot .They were NOT and even if some did they betrayed their voters which is a punishable crime in any court.
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