Following is the text of the fifth address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint session of the parliament on Saturday.
The text begin:
“BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM
Madam Speaker
Honorable Members of the Parliament
Assalam-o-Alekum !
I feel honored to address the Joint Sitting of the Parliament.
This is the first time in our history that an elected President is addressing the Joint sitting for the Fifth time.
The world can see that the march of democracy goes on.
That our institutions are working. Together we are creating history.
While a lot more needs to be done, a strong beginning has been made. We Pakistanis can be proud of our young democracy.
Madam Speaker
I
congratulate the newly elected Senators and members of the National
Assembly. I congratulate the newly elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman
Senate.
I particularly congratulate and welcome the Senators
elected on the four seats reserved for the first time for our non Muslim
brothers.
This is in accordance with the vision of the
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The fulfillment of this vision has
been made possible by this Parliament.
Madam Speaker
I am
grateful to Allah for His help and guidance. I want to thank the
leadership of all the political parties for their support to the
democratic process. I appreciate the parliamentariasn for supporting
historic laws.
I wish to compliment the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gillani for his able leadership in the House. And I wish to recognize
the then Chairman Senate, Senator Farooq Naek and you Madam Speaker, for
your high standards and impartial conduct.
Madam Speaker
We
are starting a new Parliamentary Year. During this period, we will see
free and fair elections. Let us reflect on the journey we started
together in 2008.
Four years back, when the people of Pakistan trusted us with the responsibility to govern the country we inherited:
• A country at war.
• A divided nation.
• The threat of terrorism and militancy.
• A fragile and weakened federation.
• Unclear roles and mandates of different institutions of the state.
• An altered constitution in violation of the 1973 Constitution.
• Disillusion in the smaller provinces and vulnerable groups.
• Energy shortages due to past neglect of the sector, and
• A serious economic and balance of payments crisis.
To
add to the problems we have also had the great floods of 2010, the
extraordinary rains of 2011 and a sharp increase in the price of
imported oil.
Madam Speaker,
We have been dealing with these
enormous challenges. We have tried to meet the aspirations of our
people. We have tried to transform our country. Our government was
driven by the vision of Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto, who said and I
quote: “It is time for new ideas. It is time for bold commitments. And
it is time for honesty among people and between people. There has been
enough pain. It is time for reconciliation.” (Unquote)
We have
pursued the politics of reconciliation and harmony. We have worked hard
to generate consensus. We have tried to reach out. We have taken
everyone along. And we have formed coalition governments to deepen
democracy.
Madam Speaker,
We all worked together to restore
the 1973 Constitution. The rule of law has been established. The
supremacy of the Parliament has been assured. As President I surrendered
my powers.
And today, the Prime Minister, the Chief Executive,
enjoys full authority as required by law. This was a shining moment for
our parliament. History will remember this achievement. Just as the
nation remembers Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the architects of the
1973 Constitution.
Madam Speaker,
We moved with speed and
determination to strengthen the federation by redressing the imbalance
between the powers of the center and the provinces. We abolished the
Concurrent List. We transferred eighteen ministries to the provinces. We
enhanced provincial autonomy. We have made the Council of Common
Interests fully functional.
This great transformation was achieved
with complete agreement of all the stakeholders. This shows complete
unity of our nation in adopting legislation to make our country strong
and democracy more inclusive.
Madam Speaker,
To accompany
the greater transfer of authority we took historic decisions to also
provide more finances to the provinces. After a gap of 13 years, the
federal and all provincial governments agreed on a new NFC Award.
In
the new Award the share of the provinces has been increased. Now nearly
70 percent of the resources are being transferred to the provinces.
This means there is more money for education, health, drinking water,
municipal services and law and order. In the last two years alone, over
800 billion rupees have additionally been transferred to the provinces.
If utilized correctly, these resources can help transform the lives of
our people.
Madam Speaker,
Our country has been
faced with the threat of militancy and extremism. Our forces and police
and civilians have been attacked and martyred.
Our bases, police
stations, pipelines, railways, hotels, schools, have been targeted. Even
our mosques, churches and religious shrines have not been spared. Our
country’s image has been negatively projected.
Our economy has had
to bear extra burdens. Even the good name of our great religion—a
religion of peace and harmony and love— has been exploited.
To
deal with the mind-set of a small minority, we have mobilized our
society and tried to generate a national consensus. Where necessary we
have used force to ensure that the writ of the state is not challenged.
We will continue to show resolve on this issue. I believe that our
efforts have begun to pay off and the situation has improved.
I
join the Parliament and the nation in recognizing the sacrifices of our
Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces, Police and all the innocent men and
women who have suffered or embraced martyrdom. I salute the courage and
sacrifices of those who have laid down their lives to secure the future
of our nation. I also pray to Allah for them and their families.
Madam Speaker,
We have moved further to make our democracy more transparent and ensure that the elections are fair and free.
The
20th amendment ensures the independence of the Election Commission and
the selection of an impartial Care Taker Government through a process of
consultation in the parliament.
This extraordinary legislation
will guarantee credible elections, increase confidence in democracy and
enhance the image of our country in the world.
Madam Speaker,
It
was also this government that chose the Leader of the Opposition as
Chairman of the Public Account Committee. The PAC is the nation’s
foremost body for keeping the government departments in check and
ensuring accountability at the highest level. It was a reflection of our
faith in the Parliament.
There is perhaps no parallel to this measure of transparency in parliamentary democracies.
Madam Speaker,
In
the last four years great strides have been taken to integrate,
mainstream and develop the areas and regions that have been ignored in
the past.
Let me share with you some of the important steps taken
to uplift our citizens and provide for a more balanced development of
the country.
• The Political Parties Act was extended to the Tribal Areas.
This has given more political and economic power to our tribal citizens.
•
We have also amended the Frontier Crimes Regulation in response to the
aspirations of the people of tribal areas to give them a judicial system
that meets minimum standards of justice delivery.
• The tribal area of Kala Dhaka has been converted into a settled area.
•
In the same spirit, this government adopted a historic measure in 2009
to grant self-rule to our brothers and sisters in Gilgit-Baltistan. This
will empower the people, accelerate the development and help realize
the potential of hydro-power.
• The Government has taken
special measures to develop Balochistan, end its sense of deprivation
and bring it at par with other provinces. 11,500 jobs have been financed
in the province by the federal government. Rs 120 billion for Gas
Development Surcharge will be provided. This year the share of
Balochistan in the new NFC has been more than doubled from Rs 43 billion
to Rs 93 billion.
Madam Speaker
Let me now turn to an important area: The economy.
Our Government inherited:
• A fragile economic situation,
• A balance of payment crisis and,
• External shocks due to global recession and a huge fiscal imbalance.
Fiscal
deficit was 7.6 percent. Current account deficit had reached 8.4
percent. Fiscal space provided by the rescheduling of over 12 billion
dollars loans in 2002 had been lost. Growth had lost momentum. Reserves
began to deplete as the rupee fell. Inflation peaked at an unprecedented
25 percent.
Madam Speaker
Over the last four years the
elected government took difficult decisions to get out of a threatening
situation, maintain economic stability and bring prosperity to out
citizens. In particular we gave relief to our vulnerable segments. We
have shown great discipline to reduce government expenditures. We have
mobilized domestic tax revenues to lessen our dependence on others and
to give better services and projects to our people. We have achieved
historic performance in our external sector. We have maintained
stability. And we are beginning to show stronger growth of the economy.
Madam Speaker
Our
efforts to achieve high growth and employment were hampered by the
great floods and the monsoon rains. The floods cost us over two percent
of GDP growth, and damage of around 14 billion dollars. We were also
forced to cut other programs to look after our affected citizens.
Madam Speaker
Let me share with you some important facts:
• In spite of all the difficulties, the economy will grow by four percent in 2012.
• Exports crossed a historic benchmark of 25 billion dollars last year
• Remittances were 11.2 billion dollars last year, and will double over the 2008 levels this year.
• Our foreign exchange reserves reached their highest level ever at over 18 billion dollars at the end of June.
•
In spite of global increase in the price of oil and food our rate of
inflation has been coming down. We have worked hard to bring inflation
from its peak of 25 percent in 2008 to 11 percent now.
• We
have taken steps to raise revenues. Our tax collections have doubled
from one thousand billion to about two thousand billion rupees since
2008. This year the tax growth is the highest ever at 26 percent.
•
The stock market has begun to improve. The index has crossed 13000,
compared to around 7000 in 2009. Dependence on food imports has been
reduced. We estimate our wheat crop to be 25 million tons and cotton
crop will touch 13 million bales despite loss of two million bales in
floods in Sindh.
• The government has adopted agricultural
pricing policies so as to benefit the farmers and bring prosperity to
the rural areas. In the last two years approximately Rs 800 billion
additional income has been generated for the growers.
• During
the last four years the Government spent 2200 billion rupees on
development programs. More than 200 projects have been completed. These
include: Chashma Nuclear Power 2, Mangla Raising, Mirani Dam, Islamabad
Peshawar Motorway and Islamabad Muzaffarabad Expressway.
• New
projects of national importance have been started. These include: Bhasha
Dam Project, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro power, Tarbela Extension, Chashma
Nuclear Power 3 and 4 and rebuilding of KKH and Indus Highway. We will
soon start construction of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway on BOT basis.
•
I travelled several countries to promote trade. We have negotiated
currency swap arrangements with China, Russia, Turkey and Jordan.
Madam Speaker,
We have tried to manage the economy with one primary focus: to ensure that the benefits reach the common man.
That ordinary Pakistanis are not left out and that everyone attains his or her potential.
Let me share with you some of the steps we have taken especially for the less privileged:
We gave cash transfer of 70 billion rupees to flood victims to rebuild their lives and prevent them from falling into poverty.
To reduce the burden of common man, the Government provided over 1000 billion rupees in the power sector alone.
To
help the growers 110 billion rupees subsidy was given for fertilizers.
137 billion rupees subsidy was provided for food items and, 104 billion
rupees subsidy provided for petroleum products during the last four
years.
The flagship programme to fight poverty is the Benazir Income Support Programme.
Under this programme six million families living below the poverty line have been identified.
The programme provides cash transfers, job training, insurance and business support.
The
government has given 138 billion rupees in four years. The principal
beneficiaries are women, head of the household. The programme is
recognized for its coverage and transparency. Additionally, six billion
rupees were provided through Bait-ul-Mal to deserving individuals.
Five
billion rupees of Zakat funds have also been provided to the needy. We
took steps for the benefit of the employees. These include:
• To provide sustainable jobs around 7,000 wrongfully sacked employees were reinstated.
• 12,000 contract employees were regularized.
• 660,000 Pakistani workers were sent abroad for overseas jobs.
We
introduced the Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme to give 12 percent
share of state-owned enterprises to the employees. Shares worth many
billions of rupees have been given to more than half a million employees
and they have been made owners of national assets.
To employ youth, the Government provided internship to 100,000 holders of Masters degrees.
Salaries of all government employees were increased by more than 125 per cent in the last four years.
President
Zardari mentioned the efforts to turn the fragile economic situation
around, that had suffered from balance of payment crisis, global
recession and a huge fiscal imbalance, but was now beginning to show
stronger growth.
He said when he took over the fiscal deficit was
7.6 per cent, current account deficit 8.4 per cent and fiscal space
provided by rescheduling of over 12 billion dollars loans in 2002 had
been lost, growth had lost momentum and reserves began to deplete as the
rupee fell, while inflation peaked at an unprecedented 25 per cent.
He
said over the last four years the elected government took difficult
decisions to get out of a threatening situation, maintain economic
stability and bring prosperity.
He said the government gave relief to vulnerable segments and showed great discipline to reduce government expenditures.
“We mobilized domestic tax revenues to lessen dependence on others, achieved historic performance and maintained stability.”
He mentioned the floods cost the country over 2 per cent of GDP growth, and caused a damage of around 14 billion dollars.
“We were forced to cut other programnes to look after our affected citizens,” he added.
He
said the national economy grew by 4 percent in 2012, exports crossed a
historic benchmark of 25 billion dollars last year, remittances of 11.2
billion dollars last year were likely to double this year, foreign
exchange reserves reached highest level ever at over 18 billion dollars
at the end of June.
He said in spite of global increase in oil and
food prices rate of inflation has declined from its peak of 25 percent
in 2008 to 11 percent now.
The President said steps were taken to
raise revenues and tax collections have doubled from one thousand
billion to about two thousand billion rupees since 2008, while tax
growth was the highest ever at 26 percent.
He said the stock
market has begun to improve and the index has crossed 13,000, compared
to around 7000 in 2009. Dependence on food imports has reduced.
President
Zardari said wheat crop estimates were around 25 million tons and
cotton crop 13 million bales despite loss of 2 million bales in floods
in Sindh.
He said the government has adopted agricultural pricing policies to benefit farmers and bring prosperity to the rural areas.
In the last two years approximately Rs 800 billion additional income has been generated for the growers.
President
Zardari said the government spent 2200 billion rupees on development
programmes and more than 200 projects have been completed including
Chashma Nuclear Power-II, Mangla Raising, Mirani Dam, Islamabad-Peshawar
Motorway and Islamabad Muzaffarabad Expressway.
He said new projects of national importance have been started
including Bhasha Dam, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project, Tarbela Extension,
Chashma Nuclear Power 3 and 4 and rebuilding of Karakorum Highway
and Indus Highway while work will soon start on Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway on
BOT basis.
He
also mentioned his visits to several countries to promote trade where
he negotiated currency swap arrangements with China, Russia, Turkey and
Jordan.
He said the objective of turning around the economy was to
ensure that the benefits reach the common man and shared the steps
taken especially for the less privileged.
These included cash
transfer of Rs 70 billion to flood victims, Rs 1000 billion to the power
sector, Rs 110 billion given to the growers as subsidy for fertilizers,
Rs 137 billion subsidy for food items and, Rs 104 billion subsidy for
petroleum products during the last 4 years.
President Zardari
described the Benazir Income Support Programme as “flagship programme”
to fight poverty, under which 6 million families living below the
poverty line were identified, was provided Rs 138 billion in four years
and was recognized for its coverage and transparency.
He said Rs 6
billion were provided through Bait-ul-Mal to deserving individuals and
added, Rs 5 billion of Zakat funds were also provided to the needy.
About
creating new employment opportunities, he said sustainable jobs were
provided to around 7000 wrongfully sacked employees who were reinstated,
12,000 contract employees were regularized, 666,000 workers were sent
abroad for jobs.
He said Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme was
introduced to give 12 percent share of state-owned enterprises to the
employees, and shares worth billions of rupees were given to over half a
million employees, who were made owners of national assets.
He
said internship was provided to 100,000 holders of Masters degrees while
salaries of all government employees were increased by more than 125
percent in the last four years.
Madam Speaker
I know that load shedding is a major problem especially when the water levels are down.
We are trying to get out of this situation. We are taking steps that the people should know about.
The
steps involve dealing with issues of governance in the public sector
organisations, better regulation, reducing dependence on expensive
imported oil and bringing on line more megawatts.
Madam Speaker
The
1994 Power Policy initiated by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto added
7450 megawatt electricity including Ghazi Brotha Hydel Project.
Since
2008, the present government has added another 3300 megawatt. Our long
term policy to generate electricity is to move towards the power
generation based on indigenous resources.
The Prime Minister has
laid the foundation stone of Bhasha Dam project which will produce more
electricity than combined production of Tarbela and Mangla dams.
Other hydel projects under construction will yield another 1740 megawatt.
Chinese companies have made BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) offer to generate
5,000
megawatt at Dassu and Munda. Unfortunately, development of Thar Coal
for electricity generation was halted during the previous governments.
Multinationals and Pakistani joint ventures are now undertaking projects to produce electricity at Thar.
We are expecting construction of 11 Wind Power Projects and 14 Baggasse based projects to begin shortly.
We have ensured that tariff for 8 million power consumers are not enhanced during the last four years.
Madam Speaker
The
Government is committed to work towards empowering women, their access
to capital, building their skills and support the rise of women leaders.
Towards
this end, the Parliament made significant inroads in enacting laws for
Prevention of Domestic Violence and Harassment, end Anti-Women Practices
and crimes of defacing human body. National Commission on the Status of
Women is yet another step forward in this direction. Women are
increasingly occupying key positions.
Madam Speaker
We share
the agonies of the people of Balochistan. We apologized for the wrongs
done to them in the past. Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan is under
implementation to mitigate feelings of being left out. But we recognize
that much more needs to be done to heal the wounds of the past. We are
willing to go extra mile to engage in dialogue with our Baloch brothers.
We
are seeking to reach common understanding on the development of
Balochistan and bring it at par with other provinces. Towards this end,
we have already created 11,500 jobs financed by the federal government.
The
government is disbursing arrears of 120 billion rupees on account of
Gas Development Surcharge and doubling its share under the NFC.
The
steps taken by the Government provide solid basis for moving towards a
settlement of the grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Special attention has been paid to less developed areas in addition to transfer of huge resources.
Federal Government is taking care of all vertical programs in the health sector.
It is supplementing efforts to equip law enforcement agencies wherever needed to improve security situation.
Madam Speaker,
I
realize that many in Balochistan feel neglected and even deprived. We
have tried to redress the situation. I apologized personally for the
mistakes of the past. The government has taken steps on both the
political and economic fronts.
I have already talked about some of
the steps to transfer resources, generate employment and increase
economic activity in Balochistan.
Let me also say that the
political reconciliation initiated in Balochistan should continue and be
stepped up. Healing wounds of the past is a lengthy process.
But we are determined to respond to the aspirations of our brothers and sisters in Balochistan.
Madam Speaker
Parliamentary
oversight and democratic accountability is a new and important facet of
foreign policy. We are committed to maintain our bilateral relations
with all on the principles of mutual respect for each other’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity and equality. We fully support an
Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process in Afghanistan.
The
government has signed the Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement which will
open up our trade with central Asian countries with whom we have
historical ties.
Important steps have been taken to open up trade
between India and Pakistan. But we must also address difficult issues
including that of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan and China
have a unique relationship which is deeply rooted and mutually
beneficial. My eight visits to China are a manifestation of taking this
relationship to new heights. Pakistan-United States relations are
multi-dimensional and important. The 2011 was a challenging year.
We
seek to engage meaningfully with the US on the basis of mutual interest
and mutual respect. We are looking forward to your recommendations for
re-engaging with the United States.
Our relations with the
European Union have expanded and deepened. We are grateful for the EU
initiative on the tariff concession.
Pakistan attaches importance to its relations with the Russian Federation.
The Prime Minister and I have undertaken several visits to Russia to inject new dynamism to our relationship.
Pakistan enjoys close and fraternal relations with all brotherly Islamic Countries.
We also seek to deepen our engagement with East Asia, Africa and Latin America.
As active member of the international community we uphold the principles of United Nations.
It
is a measure of our standing in international community that Pakistan
was elected as member of the United Nations Security Council last year.
Madam Speaker
The
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani deserves our unqualified
appreciation for his political wisdom in handling various challenges
with courage and perseverance.
I would also like to recognize and
appreciate the contributions made by our coalition partners PML (Q),
MQM, ANP, FATA legislators, PML (F), BNP (Awami) and other parties for
their strong support.
I also acknowledge the role of the leader of
the opposition and members of the opposition parties for playing their
role in the Parliament.
Pakistan Zindabad.”
Ends/Online
MR/AQ
==
Zardari says democracy flourishing in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD,
March 17 (Online): Amid worst uproar, President Asif Ali Zardari
Saturday said that the government has successfully met enormous
challenges‚ established rule of law and assured supremacy of the
Parliament.
Opposition members marred president’s record fifth
address to joint session of the Parliament, raising slogans “Loot Maar
band karo” (Stop looting) and ”“Aazadi, Aazadi” (Freedom from
corruption) during his speech.
“Pleas sit down, please sit down,
please maintain sanctity of the house”, Speaker Fehmida Mirza screamed
in an unsuccessful bid to quite down the PML-N led opposition lawmakers.
However with clipping voice, the President continued his speech.
Asif
Ali Zardari said that the democracy is flourishing in Pakistan,
pledging that ‘free’ and ‘fair’ elections will be held in the country.
In
a wide-ranging address to the Parliament‚ a landmark fifth‚ and the
first in country's history for a civilian elected President Zardari said
the government has moved with speed and determination to strengthen the
Federation by redressing imbalance between powers of the Centre and the
provinces.
He said we have pursued the politics of reconciliation
and harmony. He said we have worked hard to generate consensus. The
President said the coalition government was formed to deepen democracy
and all worked together to restore the 1973 Constitution.
He said
as President‚ I surrendered my powers. And today‚ the Prime Minister‚
the Chief Executive‚ enjoys full authority as required by law."
He
described it as "a shining moment for our parliament" and added history
will remember this achievement‚ just as the nation remembers Shaheed
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the architects of the 1973 Constitution.
Mentioning
the measures taken to balance the powers of the Centre and the
provinces‚ President Zardari said the government abolished the
Concurrent List and transferred 18 ministries to the provinces and
enhanced provincial autonomy.
He said the Council of Common
Interests was made fully functional and added this great transformation
was achieved with complete agreement of all the stakeholders.
This shows complete unity of our nation in adopting legislation to make our country strong and democracy more inclusive."
The
President acknowledged that while a lot more needs to be done‚ a strong
beginning has been made. "We Pakistanis can be proud of our young
democracy‚" he said and pointed the world can today see that the march
of democracy goes on and "together we are creating history." President
Asif Ali Zardari also vowed general election to be held in a free and
fair manner during the new parliamentary year.
The President
mentioned the 20th Amendment which he said ensures the independence of
Election Commission and the selection of an impartial care-taker
government through a process of consultation in the Parliament.
Text of President's address to parliament
ISLAMABAD,
March 17 (Online): Following is the text of President Asif Ali Zardari
to the joint session of the parliament on Saturday.
Text Begins:
“BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM
Madam Speaker
Honorable Members of the Parliament
Assalam-o-Alekum !
I feel honored to address the Joint Sitting of the Parliament.
This is the first time in our history that an elected President is addressing the Joint sitting for the Fifth time.
The world can see that the march of democracy goes on.
That
our institutions are working. Together we are creating history. While a
lot more needs to be done, a strong beginning has been made. We
Pakistanis can be proud of our young democracy.
Madam Speaker
I
congratulate the newly elected Senators and members of the National
Assembly. I congratulate the newly elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman
Senate. I particularly congratulate and welcome the Senators elected on
the
four seats reserved for the first time for our non Muslim brothers.
This is in accordance with the vision of the Quaid e
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The fulfillment of this vision has been made possible by this Parliament.
Madam Speaker
I am grateful to Allah for His help and guidance.
I want to thank the leadership of all the political parties for their support to the democratic process.
I appreciate the members of the Parliament for passing historic laws.
I wish to compliment the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani for his able leadership in the House.
And
I wish to recognize the then Chairman Senate, Senator Farooq Naek and
you Madam Speaker, for your high standards and impartial conduct.
Madam Speaker
We are starting a new Parliamentary Year.
During this period, we will see free and fair elections.
Let us reflect on the journey we started together in 2008.
Four years back, when the people of Pakistan trusted us with the responsibility to govern the country we inherited:
-- A country at war
-- A divided nation
-- The threat of terrorism and militancy
-- A fragile and weakened Federation
--Unclear roles and mandates of different institutions of the state
-- An altered Constitution in violation of the 1973 Constitution.
-- Disillusion in the smaller provinces and vulnerable groups
-- Energy shortages due to past neglect of the sector, and
-- A serious economic and balance of payments crisis
To
add to the problems we have also had the Great floods of 2010, the
extraordinary rains of 2011 and a sharp increase in the price of
imported oil.
Madam Speaker,
We have been dealing with these
enormous challenges. We have tried to meet the aspirations of our
people. We have tried to transform our country. Our Government was
driven by the vision of Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto, who said and I
quote:
“It is time for new ideas. It is time for bold commitments.
And it is time for honesty among people and between people. There has
been enough pain. It is time for reconciliation.” (Unquote)
We have pursued the politics of reconciliation and harmony.
We have worked hard to generate consensus.
We have tried to reach out.
We have taken everyone along.
And we have formed coalition governments to deepen democracy.
Madam Speaker,
We all worked together to restore the 1973 Constitution.
The rule of law has been established.
The supremacy of the Parliament has been assured.
As President I surrendered my powers.
And today, the Prime Minister, the Chief Executive, enjoys full authority as required by law.
This was a shining moment for our parliament.
History will remember this achievement.
Just as the nation remembers Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the architects of the 1973 Constitution.
Madam Speaker,
We
moved with speed and determination to strengthen the federation by
redressing the imbalance between the powers of the center and the
provinces.
We abolished the Concurrent List.
We transferred eighteen ministries to the provinces.
We enhanced provincial autonomy.
We have made the Council of Common Interests fully functional.
This great transformation was achieved with complete agreement of all the stakeholders.
This shows complete unity of our nation in adopting legislation to make our country strong and democracy more inclusive.
Madam Speaker,
To accompany the greater transfer of authority we took historic decisions to also provide more finances to the provinces.
After a gap of 13 years, the federal and all provincial governments agreed on a new NFC Award.
In the new Award the share of the provinces has been increased.
Now nearly 70 percent of the resources are being transferred to the provinces.
This means there is more money for education, health, drinking water, municipal services and law and order.
In the last two years alone, over 800 billion rupees have additionally been transferred to the provinces.
If utilized correctly, these resources can help transform the lives of our people.
Madam Speaker,
Our country has been faced with the threat of militancy and extremism.
Our forces and police and civilians have been attacked and martyred.
Our bases, police stations, pipelines, railways, hotels, schools, have been targeted.
Even our mosques, churches and religious shrines have not been spared.
Our country’s image has been negatively projected.
Our economy has had to bear extra burdens.
Even the good name of our great religion -- a religion of peace and harmony and love -- has been exploited.
To deal with the mind-set of a small minority, we have mobilized our society and tried to generate a national consensus.
Where necessary we have used force to ensure that the writ of the state is not challenged.
We will continue to show resolve on this issue.
I believe that our efforts have begun to pay off and the situation has improved.
I
join the Parliament and the nation in recognizing the sacrifices of our
Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces, Police and all the innocent men and
women who have suffered or embraced martyrdom.
I salute the courage and sacrifices of those who have laid down their lives to secure the future of our nation.
I also pray to Allah for them and their families.
Madam Speaker,
We have moved further to make our democracy more transparent and ensure that the elections are fair and free.
The
20thamendment ensures the independence of the Election Commission and
the selection of an impartial Care Taker Government through a process of
consultation in the parliament.
This extraordinary legislation
will guarantee credible elections, increase confidence in democracy and
enhance the image of our country in the world.
Madam Speaker,
It was also this government that chose the Leader of the Opposition as Chairman of the Public Account Committee.
The
PAC is the nation’s foremost body for keeping the government
departments in check and ensuring accountability at the highest level.
It was a reflection of our faith in the Parliament.
There is perhaps no parallel to this measure of transparency in parliamentary democracies.
Madam Speaker,
In
the last four years great strides have been taken to integrate,
mainstream and develop the areas and regions that have been ignored in
the past.
Let me share with you some of the important steps taken
to uplift our citizens and provide for a more balanced development of
the country.
? The Political Parties Act was extended to the
Tribal Areas. This has given more political and economic power to our
tribal citizens.
? We have also amended the Frontier Crimes
Regulation in response to the aspirations of the people of tribal areas
to give them a judicial system that meets minimum standards of justice
delivery.
? The tribal area of Kala Dhaka has been converted into a settled area.
?
In the same spirit, this government adopted a historic measure in 2009
to grant self-rule to our brothers and sisters in Gilgit-Baltistan. This
will empower the people, accelerate the development and help realize
the potential of hydro-power.
? The Government has taken
special measures to develop Balochistan, end its sense of deprivation
and bring it at par with other provinces. 11,500 jobs have been
financed in the province by the federal government. Rs 120 billion for
Gas Development Surcharge will be provided. This year the share of
Balochistan in the new NFC has been more than doubled from Rs 43 billion
to Rs 93 billion.
Madam Speaker
Let me now turn to an important area: The economy.
Our Government inherited:
-A fragile economic situation,
-A balance of payment crisis and,
-External shocks due to global recession and a huge fiscal imbalance.
Fiscal deficit was 7.6 percent.
Current account deficit had reached 8.4 percent.
Fiscal space provided by the rescheduling of over 12 billion dollars loans in 2002 had been lost.
Growth had lost momentum.
Reserves began to deplete as the rupee fell.
Inflation peaked at an unprecedented 25 percent.
Madam Speaker
Over
the last four years the elected government took difficult decisions to
get out of a threatening situation, maintain economic stability and
bring prosperity to our citizens.
In particular we gave relief to our vulnerable segments.
We have shown great discipline to reduce government expenditures.
We
have mobilized domestic tax revenues to lessen our dependence on others
and to give better services and projects to our people.
We have achieved historic performance in our external sector.
We have maintained stability.
And we are beginning to show stronger growth of the economy.
Madam Speaker
Our efforts to achieve high growth and employment were hampered by the great floods and the monsoon rains.
The floods cost us over 2 percent of GDP growth, and damage of around 14 billion dollars.
We were also forced to cut other programs to look after our affected citizens.
Madam Speaker
Let me share with you some important facts:
? In spite of all the difficulties, the economy will grow by 4 percent in 2012.
? Exports crossed a historic benchmark of 25 billion dollars last year
? Remittances were 11.2 billion dollars last year, and will double over the 2008 levels this year
? Our foreign exchange reserves reached their highest level ever at over 18 billion dollars at the end of June.
?
In spite of global increase in the price of oil and food our rate of
inflation has been coming down. We have worked hard to bring inflation
from its peak of 25 percent in 2008 to 11 percent now.
? We
have taken steps to raise revenues. Our tax collections have doubled
from one thousand billion to about two thousand billion rupees since
2008. This year the tax growth is the highest ever at 26 percent.
? The stock market has begun to improve. The index has crossed 13000, compared to around 7000 in 2009.
Dependence
on food imports has been reduced. We estimate our wheat crop to be 25
million tons and cotton crop will touch 13 million bales despite loss of
2 million bales in floods in Sindh.
? The government has
adopted agricultural pricing policies so as to benefit the farmers and
bring prosperity to the rural areas. In the last two years approximately
Rs 800 billion additional income has been generated for the growers.
?
During the last four years the Government spent 2200 billion rupees on
development programs. More than 200 projects have been completed. These
include: Chashma Nuclear Power 2, Mangla Raising, Mirani Dam, Islamabad
Peshawar Motorway and Islamabad Muzaffarabad Expressway.
?
New projects of national importance have been started. These include:
Bhasha Dam Project, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro power, Tarbela Extension,
Chashma Nuclear Power 3 and 4 and rebuilding of KKH and Indus Highway.
We will soon start construction of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway on BOT
basis.
? I travelled several countries to promote trade. We
have negotiated currency swap arrangements with China, Russia, Turkey
and Jordan.
Madam Speaker,
We have tried to manage the economy with one primary focus: to ensure that the benefits reach the common man.
That ordinary Pakistanis are not left out and that everyone attains his or her potential.
Let me share with you some of the steps we have taken especially for the less privileged:
We gave cash transfer of 70 billion rupees to flood victims to rebuild their lives and prevent them from falling into poverty.
To reduce the burden of common man, the Government provided over 1000 billion rupees in the power sector alone.
To help the growers 110 billion rupees subsidy was given for fertilizers.
137 billion rupees subsidy was provided for food items and,
104 billion rupees subsidy provided for petroleum products during the last 4 years.
Our flagship program to fight poverty is the Benazir Income Support Program.
Under this program 6 million families living below the poverty line have been identified.
The program provides cash transfers, job training, insurance and business support.
The government has given 138 billion rupees in four years.
The principal beneficiaries are women head of the household.
The program is recognized for its coverage and transparency.
Additionally, 6 billion rupees were provided through Bait-ul-mal to deserving individuals.
Five billion rupees of Zakat funds have also been provided to the needy.
We took steps for the benefit of the employees. These include:
-To provide sustainable jobs around 7000 wrongfully sacked employees were reinstated.
-12000 contract employees were regularized.
-Six hundred sixty thousand Pakistani workers were sent abroad for overseas jobs.
We introduced the Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme to give 12 percent share of state-owned enterprises to the employees.
Shares
worth many billions of rupees have been given to more than half a
million employees and they have been made owners of national assets.
To employ youth, the Government provided internship to 100,000 holders of Masters degrees.
Salaries of all government employees were increased by more than 125 percent in the last four years.
Madam Speaker
I know that load shedding is a major problem especially when the water levels are down.
We are trying to get out of this situation. We are taking steps that the people should know about.
The
steps involve dealing with issues of governance in the public sector
organisations, better regulation, reducing dependence on expensive
imported oil and bringing on line more megawatts.
Madam Speaker
The
1994 Power Policy initiated by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto added
7450 Mega Watts electricity including Ghazi Brotha Hydel Project.
Since 2008, the present government has added another 3300 Mega Watts.
Our long term policy to generate electricity is to move towards the power generation based on indigenous resources.
The
Prime Minister has laid the Foundation Stone of Basha Dam project which
will produce more electricity than combined production of Tarbela and
Mangla Dams.
Other Hydel projects under construction will yield another 1740 Mega Watts.
Chinese Companies have made BOT offer to generate 5000 Mega Watts at Dassu and Munda.
Unfortunately, development of Thar Coal for electricity generation was halted during the previous Governments.
Multinationals and Pakistani joint ventures are now undertaking projects to produce electricity at Thar.
We are expecting construction of 11 Wind Power Projects and 14 Baggasse based projects to begin shortly.
We have ensured that tariff for 8 million power consumers are not enhanced during the last 4 years.
Madam Speaker
The
Government is committed to work towards empowering women, their access
to capital, building their skills and support the rise of women leaders.
Towards
this end, the Parliament made significant inroads in enacting laws for
Prevention of Domestic Violence and Harassment, end Anti-Women Practices
and crimes of defacing human body.
National Commission on the Status of Women is yet another step forward in this direction.
Women are increasingly occupying key positions.
Madam Speaker
We share the agonies of the people of Balochistan.
We apologized for the wrongs done to them in the past.
Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan is under implementation to mitigate feelings of being left out.
But we recognize that much more needs to be done to heal the wounds of the past.
We are willing to go extra mile to engage in dialogue with our Baloch brothers.
We are seeking to reach common understanding on the development of Balochistan and bring it at par with other provinces.
Towards this end, we have already created 11,500 jobs financed by the federal government.
The
government is disbursing arrears of 120 billion rupees on account of
Gas Development Surcharge and doubling its share under the NFC.
The
steps taken by the Government provides solid basis for moving towards a
settlement of the grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Special attention has been paid to less developed areas in addition to transfer of huge resources.
Federal Government is taking care of all vertical programs in health sector.
It is supplementing efforts to equip law enforcement agencies wherever needed to improve security situation.
Madam Speaker,
I realize that many in Balochistan feel neglected and even deprived.
We have tried to redress the situation.
I apologized personally for the mistakes of the past.
The government has taken steps on both the political and economic fronts.
I
have already talked about some of the steps to transfer resources,
generate employment and increase economic activity in Balochistan.
Let me also say that the political reconciliation initiated in Balochistan should continue and be stepped up.
Healing wounds of the past is a lengthy process.
But we are determined to respond to the aspirations of our brothers and sisters in Balochistan.
Madam Speaker
Parliamentary oversight and democratic accountability is a new and important facet of foreign policy.
We
are committed to maintain our bilateral relations with all on the
principles of mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial
integrity and equality.
We fully support an Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process in Afghanistan.
The
government has signed the Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement which will
open up our trade with central Asian countries with whom we have
historical ties.
Important steps have been taken to open up trade between India and Pakistan.
But we must also address difficult issues including that of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan and China have a unique relationship which is deeply rooted and mutually beneficial.
My eight visits to China are a manifestation of taking this relationship to new heights.
Pakistan-United States relations are multi-dimensional and important.
2011 was a challenging year.
We seek to engage meaningfully with the US on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect.
We are looking forward to your recommendations for re-engaging with the United States.
Our relations with the European Union have expanded and deepened.
We are grateful for the EU initiative on the tariff concession.
Pakistan attaches importance to its relations with the Russian federation.
The Prime Minister and I have undertaken several visits to Russia to inject new dynamism to our relationship.
Pakistan enjoys close and fraternal relations with all brotherly Islamic Countries.
We also seek to deepen our engagement with East Asia, Africa and Latin America.
As active member of the international community we uphold the principles of United Nations.
It
is a measure of our standing in international community that Pakistan
was elected as member of the United Nations Security Council last year.
Madam Speaker
The
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani deserves our unqualified
appreciation for his political wisdom in handling various challenges
with courage and perseverance.
I would also like to recognize and
appreciate the contributions made by our coalition partners PML (Q),
MQM, ANP, FATA legislators, PML (F), BNP (Awami) and other parties for
their strong support.
I also acknowledge the role of the leader of
the Opposition and members of the opposition parties for playing their
role in the Parliament.
Pakistan Zindabad
Ends/Online
PR
==
BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM
Madam Speaker
Honorable Members of the Parliament
Assalam-o-Alekum !
I
feel honored to address the Joint Sitting of the Parliament. This is
the first time in our history that an elected President is addressing
the Joint sitting for the Fifth time. The world can see that the march
of democracy goes on.
That our institutions are working. Together
we are creating history. While a lot more needs to be done, a strong
beginning has been made. We Pakistanis can be proud of our young
democracy.
Madam Speaker
I am grateful to Allah for His help
and guidance. I want to thank the leadership of all the political
parties for their support to the democratic process. I appreciate the
members of the Parliament for passing historic laws. I wish to
compliment the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani for his able
leadership in the House. And I wish to recognize the then Chairman
Senate, Senator Farooq Naek and you Madam Speaker, for your high
standards and impartial conduct.
Madam Speaker
We are
starting a new Parliamentary Year. During this period, we will see free
and fair elections. Let us reflect on the journey we started together in
2008. Four years back, when the people of Pakistan trusted us with the
responsibility to govern the country we inherited: - A country at war
-- A divided nation
-- The threat of terrorism and militancy
-- A fragile and weakened Federation
--Unclear roles and mandates of different institutions of the state
-- An altered Constitution in violation of the 1973 Constitution.
-- Disillusion in the smaller provinces and vulnerable groups
-- Energy shortages due to past neglect of the sector, and
-- A serious economic and balance of payments crisis
To
add to the problems we have also had the Great floods of 2010, the
extraordinary rains of 2011 and a sharp increase in the price of
imported oil.
Madam Speaker,
We have been dealing with these
enormous challenges. We have tried to meet the aspirations of our
people. We have tried to transform our country. Our Government was
driven by the vision of Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto, who said and I
quote:
“It is time for new ideas. It is time for bold commitments.
And it is time for honesty among people and between people. There has
been enough pain. It is time for reconciliation.” (Unquote)
We have pursued the politics of reconciliation and harmony.
We have worked hard to generate consensus.
We have tried to reach out.
We have taken everyone along.
And we have formed coalition governments to deepen democracy.
Madam Speaker,
We
all worked together to restore the 1973 Constitution. The rule of law
has been established. The supremacy of the Parliament has been assured.
As
President I surrendered my powers. And today, the Prime Minister, the
Chief Executive, enjoys full authority as required by law. This was a
shining moment for our parliament. History will remember this
achievement. Just as the nation remembers Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
and the architects of the 1973 Constitution.
Madam Speaker,
We
moved with speed and determination to strengthen the federation by
redressing the imbalance between the powers of the center and the
provinces. We abolished the Concurrent List. We transferred eighteen
ministries to the provinces. We enhanced provincial autonomy. We have
made the Council of Common Interests fully functional. This great
transformation was achieved with complete agreement of all the
stakeholders. This shows complete unity of our nation in adopting
legislation to make our country strong and democracy more inclusive.
Madam Speaker,
To
accompany the greater transfer of authority we took historic decisions
to also provide more finances to the provinces. After a gap of 13 years,
the federal and all provincial governments agreed on a new NFC Award.
In the new Award the share of the provinces has been increased. Now
nearly 70 percent of the resources are being transferred to the
provinces.This means there is more money for education, health, drinking
water, municipal services and law and order. In the last two years
alone, over 800 billion rupees have additionally been transferred to the
provinces. If utilized correctly, these resources can help transform
the lives of our people.
Madam Speaker,
Our country has been
faced with the threat of militancy and extremism. Our forces and police
and civilians have been attacked and martyred. Our bases, police
stations, pipelines, railways, hotels, schools, have been targeted. Even
our mosques, churches and religious shrines have not been spared. Our
country’s image has been negatively projected. Our economy has had to
bear extra burdens. Even the good name of our great religion -- a
religion of peace and harmony and love -- has been exploited. To deal
with the mind-set of a small minority, we have mobilized our society and
tried to generate a national consensus. Where necessary we have used
force to ensure that the writ of the
state is not challenged. We
will continue to show resolve on this issue. I believe that our efforts
have begun to pay off and the situation has improved.
I join the
Parliament and the nation in recognizing the sacrifices of our Armed
Forces, Civil Armed Forces, Police and all the innocent men and women
who have suffered or embraced martyrdom. I salute the courage and
sacrifices of those who have laid down their lives to secure the future
of our nation. I also pray to Allah for them and their families.
Madam Speaker,
We have moved further to make our democracy more transparent and ensure that the elections are fair and free.
The
20thamendment ensures the independence of the Election Commission and
the selection of an impartial Care Taker Government through a process of
consultation in the parliament.
This extraordinary legislation
will guarantee credible elections, increase confidence in democracy and
enhance the image of our country in the world.
Madam Speaker,
It
was also this government that chose the Leader of the Opposition as
Chairman of the Public Account Committee. The PAC is the nation’s
foremost body for keeping the government departments in check and
ensuring accountability at the highest level. It was a reflection of our
faith in the Parliament.
There is perhaps no parallel to this measure of transparency in parliamentary democracies.
Madam Speaker,
In
the last four years great strides have been taken to integrate,
mainstream and develop the areas and regions that have been ignored in
the past.
Let me share with you some of the important steps taken
to uplift our citizens and provide for a more balanced development of
the country. The Political Parties Act was extended to the Tribal Areas.
This has given more political and economic power to our tribal
citizens.
We have also amended the Frontier Crimes Regulation in
response to the aspirations of the people of tribal areas to give them a
judicial system that meets minimum standards of justice delivery.
The
tribal area of Kala Dhaka has been converted into a settled area. In
the same spirit, this government adopted a historic measure in 2009 to
grant self-rule to our brothers and sisters in Gilgit-Baltistan. This
will empower the people, accelerate the development and help realize the
potential of hydro-power.
The Government has taken special
measures to develop Balochistan, end its sense of deprivation and bring
it at par with other provinces. 11,500 jobs have been financed in the
province by the federal government. Rs 120 billion for Gas Development
Surcharge will be provided. This year the share of Balochistan in the
new NFC has been more than doubled from Rs 43 billion to Rs 93 billion.
Madam Speaker
Let me now turn to an important area: The economy. Our Government inherited:
-A fragile economic situation,
-A balance of payment crisis and,
-External shocks due to global recession and a huge fiscal imbalance.
Fiscal deficit was 7.6 percent.
Current account deficit had reached 8.4 percent.
Fiscal space provided by the rescheduling of over 12 billion dollars
loans in 2002 had been lost.
Growth had lost momentum.
Reserves began to deplete as the rupee fell.
Inflation peaked at an unprecedented 25 percent.
Madam Speaker
Over
the last four years the elected government took difficult decisions to
get out of a threatening situation, maintain economic stability and
bring prosperity to out citizens. In particular we gave relief to our
vulnerable segments. We have shown great discipline to reduce government
expenditures. We have mobilized domestic tax revenues to lessen our
dependence on others and to give better services and projects to our
people.
We have achieved historic performance in our external
sector. We have maintained stability.And we are beginning to show
stronger growth of the economy.
Madam Speaker
Our efforts to
achieve high growth and employment were hampered by the great floods
and the monsoon rains. The floods cost us over 2 percent of GDP growth,
and damage of around 14 billion dollars. We were also forced to cut
other programs to look after our affected citizens.
Madam Speaker
Let me share with you some important facts:
In spite of all the difficulties, the economy will grow by 4 percent in 2012.?
Exports crossed a historic benchmark of 25 billion dollars last year?
Remittances were 11.2 billion dollars last year, and will double?
over the 2008 levels this year
Our foreign exchange reserves reached their highest level ever at?
over 18 billion dollars at the end of June.
In
spite of global increase in the price of oil and food our rate of
inflation has been coming down. We have worked hard to bring inflation
from its peak of 25 percent in 2008 to 11 percent now.
We have
taken steps to raise revenues. Our tax collections have doubled from one
thousand billion to about two thousand billion rupees since 2008. This
year the tax growth is the highest ever at 26 percent.
The stock market has begun to improve. The index has crossed 13000, compared to around 7000 in 2009.
Dependence
on food imports has been reduced. We estimate our wheat crop to be 25
million tons and cotton crop will touch 13 million bales despite loss of
2 million bales in floods in Sindh.
The government has adopted
agricultural pricing policies so as to benefit the farmers and bring
prosperity to the rural areas. In the last two years approximately Rs
800 billion additional income has been generated for the growers.
During
the last four years the Government spent 2200 billion rupees on
development programs. More than 200 projects have been completed. These
include: Chashma Nuclear Power 2, Mangla Raising, Mirani Dam, Islamabad
Peshawar Motorway and Islamabad Muzaffarabad Expressway.
New
projects of national importance have been started. These include: Bhasha
Dam Project, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro power, Tarbela Extension, Chashma
Nuclear Power 3 and 4 and rebuilding of KKH and Indus Highway. We will
soon start construction of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway on BOT basis.
I
travelled several countries to promote trade. We have negotiated
currency swap arrangements with China, Russia, Turkey and Jordan.
Madam Speaker,
We
have tried to manage the economy with one primary focus: to ensure that
the benefits reach the common man. That ordinary Pakistanis are not
left out and that everyone attains his or her potential.
Let me share with you some of the steps we have taken especially for the less privileged:
We gave cash transfer of 70 billion rupees to flood victims to rebuild their lives and prevent them from falling into poverty.
To
reduce the burden of common man, the Government provided over 1000
billion rupees in the power sector alone. To help the growers 110
billion rupees subsidy was given for fertilizers. 137 billion rupees
subsidy was provided for food items and, 104 billion rupees subsidy
provided for petroleum products during the last 4 years. Our flagship
program to fight poverty is the Benazir Income Support Program. Under
this program 6 million families living below the poverty line have been
identified. The program provides cash transfers, job training, insurance
and business support. The government has given 138 billion rupees in
four years. The principal beneficiaries are women head of the household.
The program is recognized for its coverage and transparency.
Additionally,
6 billion rupees were provided through Bait-ul-mal to deserving
individuals. Five billion rupees of Zakat funds have also been provided
to the needy. We took steps for the benefit of the employees. These
include:
-To provide sustainable jobs around 7000 wrongfully sacked employees were reinstated.
-12000 contract employees were regularized.
-Six hundred sixty thousand Pakistani workers were sent abroad for overseas jobs.
We
introduced the Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme to give 12 percent
share of state-owned enterprises to the employees. Shares worth many
billions of rupees have been given to more than half a million employees
and they have been made owners of national assets. To employ youth, the
Government provided internship to 100,000 holders of Masters degrees.
Salaries of all government employees were increased by more than 125
percent in the last four years.
President
Zardari would become the first Pakistani head of state to deliver a
record fifth address to Parliament on Saturday after the Presidency
successfully persuaded the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to step back
from its threat to disrupt the session
The one-day joint sitting
will meet a constitutional obligation for a presidential address at the
start of a new parliamentary year while another joint sitting is
expected to be convened next week to review strategic relationship with
the United States in light of recommendations of a parliamentary
committee on national security.
Before the commencement of the the
parliamentary session and the president’s address, the government held a
joint meeting with the coalition parties, presided by Prime Minister
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. The meeting was attended by members of the MQM,
Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q), and
parliamentary members from the Federally Admnistered Tribal Areas
(FATA).
The prime minister announced after the meeting that the government would address and resolve the reservations raised by the MQM.
