By APP,
Multan : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani said here Sunday that the government is taking bold decisions to phase out subsidies for rehabilitating the national economy. Talking to journalists at the local airport this evening the Prime Minister said the donor agencies including IMF, World Bank and others have suggested that our economy cannot be strengthened unless the policy of subsidies is abolished.
He said the government wants to rehabilitate the economy and for this purpose some tariffs like electricity and duties on some others items need to be revised.
The Prime Minister said as a consequence of subsidies the Wapda was rendered unable to pay its outstanding bills to PSO and other companies which rose to a hefty sum of Rs 64 billion.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said unpopular decisions are necessary to improve our economic health. He said it is but unavoidable to pass on the burden of subsidies from the national exchequer to the consumer.
He said the Wapda’s accumulated bills worth Rs 64 billion have been paid by the government so that the problem of loadshedding did not aggravate.
To a question he said Pakistan is fighting war against terrorism for its own because the government and the state are duty-bound to ensure the safety of life and property of every citizen.
The Prime Minister said “we are not fighting this war for the Americans or for any other power but for our own sake”. He said Pakistanis are peace-loving people and the government is not against any segment. He said it is not against tribesmen or peaceful Taliban but it has to establish peace and writ of the government.
The Prime Minister made it clear that talks cannot be held with those elements who are killing innocent citizens, personnel of the law-enforcement agencies and even army personnel, who are defenders of the motherland.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said unpopular decisions are necessary to improve our economic health. He said it is but unavoidable to pass on the burden of subsidies from the national exchequer to the consumer.
He said the Wapda’s accumulated bills worth Rs 64 billion have been paid by the government so that the problem of loadshedding did not aggravate.
To a question he said Pakistan is fighting war against terrorism for its own because the government and the state are duty-bound to ensure the safety of life and property of every citizen.
The Prime Minister said “we are not fighting this war for the Americans or for any other power but for our own sake”. He said Pakistanis are peace-loving people and the government is not against any segment. He said it is not against tribesmen or peaceful Taliban but it has to establish peace and writ of the government.
The Prime Minister made it clear that talks cannot be held with those elements who are killing innocent citizens, personnel of the law-enforcement agencies and even army personnel, who are defenders of the motherland.
The Prime Minister, who had arrived here from Quetta to attend the wedding ceremony of Mian Amjad Chhijra’s daughter, replying to a question on judges issue, said that the judges would be reinstated through Parliament on a proper time.
To another question about talks with PML-Q leadership he said politics is a day-to-day affair. He said in the post-Musharraf scenario the situation has turned quite different.
He said “we do not want an atmosphere of confrontation but an atmosphere of rapprochement with all political elements”.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani said we were not against any individual but we wanted to change the system. Now a positive change is taking place, he observed.
To a question about investigations into Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, he said the National Assembly and the Senate passed resolutions in this regard and the government referred the matter to the United Nations accordingly.
About the possible outcome of the presidential elections the Prime Minister said it is self-evident that if the PPP could win the PM seat why it could not win the President seat.
He said the PPP and its allied parties enjoy the overall majority in the electoral college, so its nominee, the co-chairman Senator Asif Ali Zardari, is likely to win.
To another question about the schedule of Presidential elections the Prime Minister said according to the Constitution the elections for the office of the President ought to be held within thirty days of the vacancy by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, flanked by his younger brother Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani and other PPP leaders including Khawaja Rizwan Alam, Hanif Lodhi and Khurshid Khan said that it is the discretion of the Election Commission to set schedule for the Presidential elections.
To a question he said work on Multan development package is in full swing and people would soon see the desired improvement. About declaring Multan as the big city he said he would ask chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to do the needful.
Responding to another question the Prime Minister said that Mian Nawaz Sharif is his brother and he respects him a lot and hopes that differences between the coalition partners would soon be over.
He said Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had signed charter of democracy and had waged joint struggle for this purpose and he along with Asif Ali Zardari played his effective role in ending the dictatorial rule. So, he said, PPP and PML-N would soon be able to thrash out their irritants.
He said he has not yet accepted the resignations of PML-N ministers at the centre. About PML-N leadership’s purported remarks that PPP should quit provincial cabinet slots in Punjab he said Mian Shahbaz Sharif or any other relevant person did not ask him or Asif Ali Zardari to do so.
The Prime Minister to another question said that it would be nothing new if Asif Ali Zardari does not resign from the party leadership and membership after being elected President of the country.
He quoted instances of Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq, Yahya Khan and Pervez Musharraf. All remained fully involved in politics as President, he observed.
He also quoted Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who became governor general without quitting the Muslim League.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, replying to a question about any trial of Pervez Musharraf, said that the coalition government or PPP does not want to revive the atmosphere of confrontation, which will not serve any national purpose.
About the repeal of Article 58(2)B, which grants powers to the President to dissolve assemblies, the Prime Minister said, if the Party would intend to replace him then he would step down very gladly, bowing to the decision of the Party leadership.
To a question about Journalist Colony deadlock he said he would ask the MDA to expedite the matter. He directed DCO Fazeel Asghar to do the needful.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, flanked by his younger brother Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gillani and other PPP leaders including Khawaja Rizwan Alam, Hanif Lodhi and Khurshid Khan etc, said that it is the discretion of the Election Commission to set schedule for the Presidential elections.
To a question he said work on Multan development package is in full swing and people would soon see the desired improvement. About declaring Multan as the big city he said he would ask chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to do the needful.
Responding to another question the Prime Minister said that Mian Nawaz Sharif is his brother and he respects him a lot and hopes that differences between the coalition partners would soon be over.
He said Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had signed charter of democracy and had waged joint struggle for this purpose and he along with Asif Ali Zardari played his effective role in ending the dictatorial rule. So, he said, PPP and PML-N would soon be able to thrash out their irritants.
He said he has not yet accepted the resignations of PML-N ministers at the centre. About PML-N leadership’s purported remarks that PPP should quit provincial cabinet slots in Punjab he said Mian Shahbaz Sharif or any other relevant person did not ask him or Asif Ali Zardari to do so.
The Prime Minister to another question said that it would be nothing new if Asif Ali Zardari does not resign from the party leadership and membership after being elected President of the country.
He quoted instances of Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq, Yahya Khan and Pervez Musharraf. All remained fully involved in politics as President, he observed.
He also quoted Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who became governor general without quitting the Muslim League.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, replying to a question about any trial of Pervez Musharraf, said that the coalition government or PPP does not want to revive the atmosphere of confrontation, which will not serve any national purpose.
About the repeal of Article 58 (2) B, which grants powers to the President to dissolve Assemblies, the Prime Minister said, if the Party would intend to replace him then he would step down very gladly, bowing to the decision of the Party leadership.
To a question, about Journalist Colony deadlock he said he would ask the MDA to expedite the matter. He directed DCO Fazeel Asghar to do the needful.