News
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Pakistan desires peace, stability in Afghanistan: PM
* Gilani says Pakistan will extend all possible help to Afghan-led peace process * Govt focussing on provision of relief to masses
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Saturday, said Pakistan sincerely desired peace and stability in Afghanistan and would extend all possible support to an Afghan-led reconciliation process.
Talking to Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir at the PM House, he said that Pakistan was committed to creating a conducive environment for meaningful negotiations leading to peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Bashir called on Gilani to apprise about his recent visit to Afghanistan in connection with Trilateral Core Group meeting. The foreign secretary informed the prime minister that he also met President Hamid Karzai who conveyed his good wishes for him and President Asif Ali Zardari. He also informed the prime minister about his discussions with the Afghan leadership on bilateral agreements on joint commission between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Trilateral Core Group’s meeting.
Meanwhile, talking to Nazar Mohammad Gondal, MNA, who called on him, the prime minister said the government’s primary focus was on providing relief to masses. He said provisions taken in budget would help check inflation by bringing down prices of commodities of daily use and making them accessible to the common man. He said the government had also plans to increase the number of utility stores in all union councils before the onset of holy month of Ramazan. Gilani observed that the government was cognizant of the rising energy demands in the country.
“Various short and medium-term measures have already been taken to bridge the gap between demand and supply,” he added. He said that steps were also being taken for energy conservation. Gondal congratulated Gilani on PPP’s clear victory in polls in Azad Jammu Kashmir. He also briefed the prime minister on the on-going development schemes in his constituency.
Separately, talking to a delegation of minority MNAs, belonging to all political parties, who called on the prime minister on Saturday, Gilani said the government had constituted a high-level committee to examine the functions of Ministry of Minorities, which would put forward recommendations to resolve the problems confronting minorities.
The committee, he mentioned consisted of his principal secretary, secretary cabinet and secretary Establishment Division. The prime Minister reiterated that minorities and women were his own constituencies, and he was personally concerned about their welfare and well-being.
Gilani assured the delegation that Minorities Development Fund meant for the uplift and economic empowerment of minorities through development schemes and financial assistance would not lapse and would be equally distributed among the 12 minorities’ MNAs, including two women MNAs, to the tune of Rs 07 million each.
The prime minister said in accordance with the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, he would direct the provincial governments to cater for the needs of minorities in their respective Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP). He assured that the federal government would accommodate minorities in the Prime Minister’s Development Programmes as well as PSDP. The prime minister directed the Establishment Division to ensure five percent quota for minorities, as decided earlier, at all the federal government institutions, including the Armed Forces. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk