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Gilani resolves to wage Jihad against corruption
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday expressed his government’s resolve to launch a Jihad against corruption in the new year (2011) by making legislative measures, including the approval of the accountability law.“It is our resolve for the new year that we will launch a Jihad against corruption. I have talked to Mian Sahib (PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif) so that we can adopt the accountability bill with consensus. And it is done in a way that nobody can raise a finger at it,” Gilani said in a live question-answer TV show aired on Saturday evening.
Prime Minister Gilani mentioned the historical facts and said most of governments in the past, including the two tenures each of the PPP and the PML-N as well as the Junejo government, had faced corruption charges and even were removed on such charges. “But with an active judiciary and parliament as well as a vibrant media in the country, there is a hell of difference between now and then,” he said, adding corruption could also be addressed through ballot and the corrupt people should not take part in the elections.”
Prime Minister Gilani said after the parliament, to which the elected people were answerable, there was also Public Accounts Committee to check corruption, besides the judiciary.
Prime Minister Gilani responded to live calls and questions from the general public, which mostly related to the problems of the common man and the government’s policies to tackle various challenges.
Prime Minster Gilani said the PML-N was playing the role of a responsible opposition, adding the government would go forward having its working relationship with all opposition parties, particularly with the PML-N.
Prime Minister Gilani, in response to a question about the JUI-F’s decision to part ways with the government, said Fazlur Rehman remained in the coalition for three years and never had any complaint.
“We take his criticism in positive sense. He (Maulana) has his own opinion,” Gilani remarked when asked to comment on Fazlur Rehman’s criticism against him.
He said the government would continue to make efforts to bring the JUI-F back to the coalition. About problems with the MQM, Prime Minister Gilani said the MQM had some reservations, which had been conveyed to him and President Asif Ali Zardari during separate meetings. About growing inflation and price hike, Prime Minister Gilani attributed the trend to global recession, the war against terror as well as the impact of recent floods.
About petroleum prices, Gilani said the government had two options either to give subsidy, which means cut on development expenditures, or to regulate the prices of petroleum products according to the international trend.
Courtesy www.geo.tv