News
Monday, September 05, 2011
Gilani vows unbiased operation in Karachi* PM confident LEAs will not resort to any action contravening country’s interests
* Reveals Rehman Malik wants judicial commission to probe Mirza’s allegations
* Appreciates Mirza for tendering resignation from all posts before criticising party
Staff Report
LAHORE: Expressing full confidence in the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) operating against lawbreakers in Karachi, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani promised unbiased and across the board action against those found involved in anti-state activities.
Talking to a delegation of journalists at his residence here on Sunday, Gilani said the LEAs had been ordered to take action on credible intelligence with a view to minimising collateral damage. “I am confident the law enforcement agencies will not resort to any action which is not in the interest of Pakistan,” he added.
He told the media persons that Interior Minister Rehman Malik, in a letter written to him, asked for a judicial commission under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to probe into the charges levelled against him by former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza. Responding to a query regarding party action against Zulfiqar Mirza for violating party discipline, the PM said the Mirza has taken a principled decision by resigning from party office, therefore there was no question of action against him. “People level charges while staying in the party while Mirza first resigned,” he said, adding that Zulfiqar Mirza was a committed PPP stalwart and would not create a new party.
Talking about the local bodies’ (LB) elections, the premier said the federal government wants to hold the LB elections prior to the general elections. However, he added that the provinces will be taken on board in this regard. He hinted that elections could be held any time after April 2012 as the Election Commission of Pakistan would have prepared computerised electoral roll by then. He said that that the PPP would convince the other parliamentary parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), to hold local government election prior to the next general election.
The prime minister ruled out the possibility of mid-term election, questioning how could mid-term elections be held given the fact that provinces had admitted in writing that environment was not conducive even for by-election. He said free, fair and transparent elections are always in the interest of the PPP which, he said, was popular among the people and had roots in all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, owing to which it had always advocated for an independent election commission.
When asked about the likelihood of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) rejoining the government, Gilani said that the PPP government was adhering to the politics of reconciliation and now it was up to the MQM if it wants to rejoin the government or not. To a question relating to increased load shedding after Eidul Fitr, he said that a commission working under the finance minister to end load shedding will soon present its recommendations, and that the federal government would soon convene an ‘Energy Conference’.
To a question about the havoc played by the floods in Sindh, Gilani said the government was planning to make an appeal to the international community seeking its help for the calamity-hit districts of the province. The prime minister said that the PPP leadership believed in consensus and would take decisions of national importance on that basis as it had done during his last three and half years in power.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk