LAHORE – The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will take its coalition partners in confidence on the financial crunch facing the country, Advisor to the PM on Women Development Yasmin Rehman and said on Monday.Yasmin said that the PPP-led federal government has assured its coalition allies that relief will be provided to the masses in petroleum and gas products, as it was the basic need of the country to run both the public and private sectors smoothly.
The PPP leader said that Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has already directed the Ministry of Finance to take coalition partners into confidence so that the future strategy is formulated with their input and hopefully the government would succeed to make a relief budget for the poor masses. She said that in order to control the budget deficit, the PPP-led government has cut its expenditures by Rs 25 billion, as President Asif Ali Zardari and Gilani had already declared.
Yasmin said that the focus of the government during the remaining two years would be on provision of relief to the people. Separately, PPP ticket holder from NA-122 Mian Umar Misbahur Rehman, ddressing the inauguration ceremony of installation of sewerage pipelines in Rehmanpura area, with funds provided by the party, said that the PPP government was trying its level best to put lesser burden on the people and give them some relief in the next budget after consultation with all political parties.
He said that it was the responsibility of all political parties, whether national or regional, to take part in the progress and prosperity of the country and it was the only way to develop Pakistan. Umar said that all allies must work jointly for the sake of nation. The PPP leader ticket holder said that terrorists are destabilising the country and the government will not allow anyone to disturb the peace of the country at any cost. He said that anti-Pakistan elements are targeting Pakistan since the last 63 years but they will never succeed in destabilising the country.
Umar said that democracy was strong in the country, as every political party supported it. He also appreciated the efforts of the security forces, especially army, for battling the wave of terrorism across the country.