Prime Minister (PM) Raja Pervez Ashraf said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rendered infinite sacrifices for democracy and knows well how to protect it.
Addressing a ceremony at the PM Secretariat where he distributed certificates of confirmation of services to temporary employees, the PM said those delivering lectures on democracy should first prove their credentials. Ashraf said democracy was the only solution to the nation’s problems. He added that the government had taken important decisions to pull the country out of crisis.
The PM said if there was any lacuna in the present system it could only be removed through the parliament and the constitution. He said everyone had the right to seek support of the people but the way to bring about change is through the ballot alone. He said it was for the first time that a neutral and independent election commission had been established to ensure holding of free‚ fair and transparent elections.
He said if a democratically elected government completed five years the democratic process would take roots and no one would be able to conspire against the system or impose their own agenda.
Ashraf said the PPP believed in politics of people and that was why it had been pursuing people-friendly policies ever since its inception.
The PM said the PPP government with the cooperation of other parties restored the disfigured constitution to its original form and the present parliament made record legislation during its tenure.
Only a politician can become caretaker PM: Kaira
Only a politician can become caretaker prime minister, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Wednesday. Talking to reporters, Kaira said the caretaker setup will be installed in consultation with the opposition and all other political parties. He said if Tahirul Qadri had a proposal for the betterment of the electoral process‚ he must present it to the Election Commission of Pakistan. “Tahirul Qadri is not a stakeholder and if he wants to be part of the system then he should contest the general elections,” Kaira said. The minister said the assemblies would complete their tenure on March 16 and the general elections would be held after two months of the date. “We have an independent media and a judiciary and no one has the courage to take undemocratic steps, he said. Kaira said the country faced internal and external challenges, including terrorism, law and order in Swat and Malakand, energy crisis, threat of isolation on the international front, economic recession, food crisis and floods when the government came to power in 2008 and the government did its best to cope with all these challenges.
