Pakistan looks forward to a constructive engagement with India to settle all outstanding problems, including the Kashmir dispute, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Tuesday.
Talking to Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan and Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Ashraf said Pakistan would continue extending moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination.
He said Pakistan believed in “peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people”. Earlier in the day, the PM addressed the oath-taking ceremony of Gujjar Khan Bar Association, where he said the completion of the government’s tenure had strengthened democracy and all stakeholders had agreed to extend full support to the democratic setup.
“Democracy has been strengthened and its plant has been converting into a strong tree with the completion of five year term of the present democratically elected parliament.”
There is consensus among the judiciary, armed forces and all political forces that no other system but democracy is imperative for the country.
The PM said if all institutions worked in their constitutional framework then there would be no problem and Pakistan would prosper. PM Ashraf said in the past democratic setup was damaged by “outside forces” and the country had to face the consequences.
The PM said all forces had agreed that there was no alternative to democracy and following the next general elections the people would elect their representatives to continue democratic process.
Raja said despite some difficulties, the completion of the government’s tenure would usher in new era in the country. The prime minister said the Pakistan People’s Party had rendered matchless sacrifices for the establishment of democracy in the country.
Praising the role played by lawyers in restoration of democracy, PM Raja said today judiciary and media were fully independent. He said lawyers, who were educated, conscious and talented were the role model for the people.
Referring to challenges faced by the PPP-led government, he said, “We introduced politics of patience, tolerance and reconciliation which has started paying dividends.”
The premier said despite ups and downs the government moved on the path of reconciliation which was the vision of slain PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto who always said that reconciliation was the best way to face all challenges. The PM said, “We formed coalition governments in the Centre and even in the provinces and took all the parties along after the 2008 elections.”
He said the government ensured food security making it a wheat exporting country, adding that when the government took over in 2008, there was a shortage of wheat in the country.
He said the foreign exchange reserves were also in a stable position.
Referring to the efforts to fight extremism and terrorism, Raja said, “We also pushed the terrorists back.”
The PM assured to extend full support and cooperation in the completion of chambers of the lawyers at Gujjar Khan Bar. He also assured the members of the Gujjar Khan Bar Association to provide computers.
Earlier, Law Minister Farooq H Naik administered oath to the newly-elected office-bearers of the bar.
