President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said the smooth and peaceful transition of power from one democratic government to another was due to the reconciliation policy and reflected that democracy had taken roots in the country.
Talking to a group of former and incumbent parliamentarians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan who separately called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said all political forces should work together to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in the country
The president said that for the first time in the country’s history, an elected civilian president would hand over the charge to the next elected civilian president, terming it a success for democracy.
Presidential Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the delegation from KP, led by Anwar Saifullah Khan, paid tribute to the president and the former democratic government for its efforts to bring the people of KP into mainstream national politics and for removing their sense of deprivation.
They thanked the president for his interest in giving an identity to the people of KP by renaming the province.
The president said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government made serious efforts for the uplift of Balochistan province and had introduced the Aaghaze Huqooq-e-Balochistan package to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Senator Sabir Ali Baloch also appreciated the president and the previous government for strengthening democracy in the country. The participants said the president’s policy of tolerance and reconciliation had helped to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in the country.
The president said that in line with the vision of Benazir Bhutto, he would continue to pursue the policy of reconciliation for political stability in the country.
The KP delegation included, among others, Barrister Masood Kausar, Senator Ahmad Hassan, Arbab Alamgir, Asma Arbab Alamgir, Rahim Dad Khan, Zahir Shah, Senator Sardar Ali Khan, Lal Muhammad Khan, Karamatullah Chagharmatti, Khanzada Khan, Faisal Karim Kundi and Najmuddin Khan.
The Balochistan delegation included Senator Sabir Baloch, Sadiq Umrani, Ayatullah Durrani, Zille Huma, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani, Ghaza Gola and Changez Jamali.