ZARDARI JOURNEY SINDHITOOPI TO PUNJABI PUGH/IN LAHORE DURBAR
Zardari vows to hold monthly Darbar in Lahore
Says PPP to continue respecting state institutions; admits peoples problems not being solved
By our correspondent
LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday vowed to hold a darbar (public court) in Lahore every month to address the party workers grievances, and expressed his resolve to continue respecting the state institutions.
I am listening to the voice of people, and know that their problems are not being solved, said President Zardari, who is also the PPP Co-chairman, in his address to the PPP workers from Lahore and other cities of Punjab at the Governors House on Thursday.
Responding to activists slogans against the partys local and provincial leadership, Asif Zardari said he was well aware of their problems, and the PPP government was committed to addressing these problems. He said the PPP government was committed to strengthening democracy in the country, which would guarantee rights to the neglected and downtrodden people. The PPP believed democracy is the best revenge and it wants to pay respect to all state institutions which is vital for strengthening of the Federation, he added.
Asif Zardari said the PPP workers from Kashmir, NWFP, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and other parts of the country wanted to save Pakistan and eliminate militancy from Waziristan and other tribal areas. He said the PPP leaders sacrificed their lives for the sake of democracy and the Federation.
The president said he was visiting China, Australia and the US just for the poor people of the country. He claimed he had managed to get $700 million foreign loans, to be spent on construction of 32 dams in the country and materialise the dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. He said the project of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) meant for facilitating the poor women had reached every part of the country.
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer performed the Dastar-bandi of the president. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Federal Ministers Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Rana FarooqSaeed Khan, PPP General Secretary Senator Jehangir Badr, United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Pakistan and other provincial leaders of the party were also present on the occasion.
Agencies add: The president said the PPP did not want any clash among the state institutions, which could be detrimental not only to the government but also democracy. He said five mega projects, which he inaugurated recently, were the dream of ZulfikarAli Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and today, I have materialised their dreams.
He said Pakistan was facing numerous problems, which could be solved only through hard work, sincerity and patriotism. These problems have been haunting the country for long and could not be solved overnight, he added.
The PPP led-government is initiating water projects to secure future generation. The PPP government also ensured provision of 12.5 per cent shares of the public sector industries to the poor and the downtrodden, he added.
President Zardari said the democratic government would uphold its policy of press freedom and provide the media a conducive environment to play a positive role in society. Talking to a delegation of editors of national dailies and television channels at Governors House, President Zardari said the government appreciates medias constructive criticism as it can help improve the government efficiency. President Zardari said the process of national reconciliation would continue and Pakistan Peoples Party would work to promote democracy.
On the issue of terrorism, the president said the success in military operations was achieved due to unity exhibited by all sections of the country. He said terrorism and extremism were badly affecting the countrys economy and urged the media not to promote terrorists views depicting them as heroes.
President Zardari said the government has a clear vision to steer the country out of economic crisis and a central pillar of this vision was restoring law and order, ending militancy in the country and making the environment conducive for investment and growth.
Addressing a meeting of the business community at Governors House, the president the government had adopted a clear-cut policy on developing economy, which was evident from the way the militants had been driven out of Swat and Malakand. The operation, backed by the people, is still continuing in South Waziristan Agency, he added. Farhatullah Babar quoted the president as saying that the armed forces and civilian law-enforcing agencies had made huge sacrifices and the nation was proud of what had been achieved thus far in this unconventional war which was being fought with the full support and backing of the people.
The president said the government relied on trade and not on aid to overcome its economic problems. The government was seeking greater access to international markets for Pakistani products. He expressed the hope that the concept of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) will soon be translated into reality.
Earlier, President Zardari inaugurated a series of development projects for Punjab to ensure uplift in agriculture, education and industries sectors. The president, who is on a week long visit to Punjab, unveiled the plaques at Governors House. The projects include inauguration of Benazir Bhutto Idara-e-Kissan project in Pattoki, the Gujranwala Tools, Dies and Moulds Centre, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Medical College in Lahore; Neeli Bar Agricultural Research and Training Station, Burewala; and the groundbreaking of Bio-Remediation Institute, Lahore Green City.