By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Monday that the government would set an example by ensuring free and fair election in which all political parties would be free to participate.
In an interview with a foreign newspaper, he said Pakistan has an independent election commission and it would be the ballot box which would speak about the will of the people in the forthcoming election.
The Prime Minister said observers from within and outside the country including media would be welcomed to witness the electoral process all across he country.
He said the parliament is poised to complete its full term for the first time in the country’s history, adding that the PML and its coalition partners would be successful in the election on the basis of their performance.
Commenting on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Sharif brothers, he said Pakistan has an independent judiciary and “we respect the judgment of the court.”
Now it has to be seen how they honour the agreement and understanding they had made with foreign government and foreign leaders who helped them get their sentences remitted, he said.
He said the PML(N) and Pakistan Peoples Party are active in the country’s politics and are well represented in Parliament and added that both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto belong to the main opposition parties.
“So their coming (back to the country) or not was really linked to their own legal complications, disputes and situations which will be addressed legally under the law of the country,” he said.
Highlighting the role of media, he said the government wanted media to play an active role and presently around 53 channels are operating in the country. A lot of employment opportunities were created in this sector after media’s expansion, he added.
Commenting on forthcoming presidential election, he said re-election of President General Pervez Musharraf, who is symbol of unity and progress, would augur well for the country.
“The President would be supported by coalition partners as we have comfortable majority in the parliament,” he said.
Turning to development in Pakistan, he said, “We are committed to build the country on strong footing and reforms have been launched, such as liberalization, better health care, better education, privatization and good governance with transparent policies.”
He said Pakistan is a very attractive location for business investment and he spoke about several measures taken by the government to liberalize the economy and open the doors for foreign investments.
The Prime Minister said the reform policies in Pakistan have provided good governance through transparency as well as empowerment of the people from the grassroots to the national levels.
He said the unprecedented economic reforms have doubled the size of the economy and Pakistan is now on a high growth trajectory with sustained growth, where poverty is declining and employment is increasing.
Pakistan has grown exponentially due to the strong economy and growth which is over 7 per cent per year on average, making the country one of Asia’s fastest growing economies.
He said expenditures on better education and health care have increased steadily and significant measures have been taken to empower women and minorities.