By NNN-APP
Gilgit : Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A. Memon Saturday said President Pervez Musharraf respects the public mandate and power will be transferred to the new government.
Addressing the members of Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) here, the minister said that whichever group or party achieves majority in the national assembly will be facilitated once the notification of the MNAs-elect is issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Memon said that the caretaker government fulfilled its constitutional obligation of holding free, fair and transparent polls under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf.
He said more than one thousand electoral experts, observers and journalists visited Pakistan to monitor the election process and the entire world acknowledged the impartiality of the polls.
The minister said that Musharraf has been elected through a democratic process and he would hold the post for five years.
Memon said the president is a symbol of federation and any bid to weaken him would tantamount to destabilising the federation.
He said government formation is an obligation of the political parties and as any political party could not win a clear majority, talks are on to achieve the target.
Hailing the consultation process between political parties to form the government, Memon said the political leadership is taking the political process ahead in a responsible manner.
He said the caretaker government was focussing on the development of Northern Areas (NAs) and the third package for the development of the NAs was being worked out.
Musharraf has ordered preparation of another package for the people of NAs which would ensure provision of clean drinking water, education, health and other basic facilities to the people of the areas, he added.
On the occasion, Speaker National Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) Muhammad Miskeen expressed gratitude to Musharraf on behalf of the people of NAs for two development packages, saying that the NALA fully backed the steps being taken by the President.
He congratulated the president and the caretaker government for holding free, fair and transparent election. Terming the holding of free and fair polls a difficult task, he said, the obligation was fulfilled in a befitting manner.
Miskeen said Musharraf had launched massive and unprecedented development projects for the uplift and prosperity of the people of Northern Areas. He hoped that this development course would continue in the future as well.