MULTAN – Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared on Sunday that upcoming local government polls would be held on party basis.
Addressing a news conference here at Multan Airport after his arrival from Islamabad, he said that the provincial governments would take over the local bodies on December 31. He told the journalists that the chief ministers of all the four provinces had endorsed government’s policy on local governments. “They (CMs) have informed the government in writing that they’ll follow the unanimous strategy on local governments introduced by the centre,” he added.
He said slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto also wanted local government polls to be held on party basis as it would generate leadership at grassroots level. “We’ll promote this vision,” he resolved.
To a query on Indian hand in Pakistan, the premier reiterated that the evidences of Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan would be furnished at appropriate forum at a suitable time.
He said the evidences against India were available but issuing multiple statements on this issue and discussing it before media could make it complex. “The situation can deteriorate if we discuss sensitive issues on media,” he added. According to him, Pakistan wants to resolve issues like Kashmir, water and terrorism through dialogue otherwise the terrorists would benefit from the situation.
He said the government had formed a new authority to tackle terrorism issue. “This authority will be supported by the military and civil agencies and all institutions will work together,” he added. He stressed that journalists, educationists, police officers and officials from departments concerned would be included in this body to tackle the terrorism issue.
“It will be a think tank which would run a research centre to impart training to the children and citizens,” he added. Responding to a question, he termed the approval of NFC Award as the beauty and triumph of democracy, saying democratic powers were striving hard to settle all issues amicably.
According to him, the Americans caught from Sargodha are being quizzed and their fate would be decided after the completion of interrogation. He said the operation was going on successfully in Waziristan against those, who challenged governmentÂ’s writ. He claimed that the government took all political parties into confidence in the parliament prior to launching the operation.
Holding the US as strategic partner of Pakistan in war on terror, he described terrorism as an international menace, stressing that the chances of success in war against terrorism could go further up, provided Pakistan and US worked together under a joint strategy. He claimed that the US took Pakistan into confidence prior to launching new Afghan policy. “Soon American leaders are coming to Pakistan to talk to our political and army leadership,” he said.
Mr Gilani maintained that the work on drafting constitutional amendments was at final stages and soon the constitution would be restored in its real form. “I pay tributes to all political parties for supporting government on this issue,” he added.
To a query, he said the government was not opposed to the accountability. “But we want accountability and not vendetta,” he added. He said he had offered Nawaz Sharif to go through the draft of the proposed accountability bill and form a three-member committee of his party to review it so that it could be presented before the parliament. He said there was a huge difference between accountability and vendetta. “If I receive any verdict against me, I’ll accept it. We’ll do only those things that enjoy public support,” he asserted. Answering another question, he said Gilgit-Baltistan was a part of Kashmir and Pakistan was struggling for the liberation of Kashmir.
Strongly dispelling the impression that governmentÂ’s recent steps on Gilgit-Baltistan were part of a strategy to make it a part of Pakistan, he said the government did not allocate any seat to Gilgit-Baltistan in the parliament or senate – rather, this region was given autonomy. “We have empowered them to resolve their problems locally,” he added.
Replying to a question, he said no party enjoyed two-thirds majority in the parliament and therefore Saraiki province could not be established through an executive order. He said he never opposed Sariaki province, but currently the country was facing some other serious problem. “If we talk of the Saraiki province at this time, it will bring more troubles for the country,” he added. He emphasised that no agreement was made by the government for changing the name of NWFP.
Deploring Qasim Bela blast incident, he announced Rs .5 million compensation for each deceased, Rs 10, 0000 for each injured and Rs 15 million for reconstruction of damaged houses. He said the anti-Pakistan elements hatched a conspiracy to ruin peaceful atmosphere in Multan. To a query on land erosion by Indus river, he said the federal government would support provincial government vis-a-vis launching a joint project to combat land erosion if the latter brought this issue to the notice of centre.