Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid Tuesday said the decision of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of boycotting the presidential elections was unfortunate.
Talking to media outside the parliament house Thursday, Rashid said the PPP had participated in the general elections 2002 and elected dictator Pervez Musharraf as the president.
The minister said Mamnoon Hussain would follow the constitution and laws of the land. He said following the May 11 general elections, Pakistan had moved forward a long way and now the international companies were investing in the country and stock exchange had also improved.
“Today the country will complete another phase of democracy where one president will go and the next will come through the power of ballot. Earlier, the presidents were sent home in different methods of high handedness,” the minister said.
The minister said two third of the electoral college for the presidential elections was taking part in the polls including a major opposition party – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. About the PPP leader Raza Rabbani, the minister said his democratic credentials were very strong and hoped he would maintain them in future as well.
To a question, he said President Zardari was a constitutional president of the country and the PML-N respected him. “We are happy that President Zardari is completing his five years tenure and the PML-N respects him being a constitutional president.”
To another question, he said the MQM had extended unconditional support to the PML-N in the presidential elections. He said the PML-N was doing the politics of principles.
“We have respected the mandate of people and allowed other parties to form their governments where they have majority,” he further commented.
