Sunday, January 23, 2011
By Asim Yasin, The News.
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ISLAMABAD: The Core Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has given a nod to the government to move forward with economic agenda given by the opposition parties to bring the country’s fragile economy back on track.
The Core Committee took the decision during a meeting held at the Presidency late Friday night, which was jointly chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
According to sources, Law Minister Babar Awan briefed the committee regarding the ongoing dialogue with the PML-N on the 10-point agenda of Nawaz Sharif.
The sources said Babar Awan informed the meeting that both the parties were moving forward as 80 per cent agenda was doable with no delay, while the remaining could be adopted for long-term basis.
The prime minister, who dubbed the government and PML-N committee as “Economic Challenges Committee”, expressed his optimism for preparing a roadmap to meet the economic crisis.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira also endorsed that all the doable recommendations of the political parties should be accepted.
The president and prime minister had decided to move forward with the restructuring plan of public sector enterprises such as PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, Railways, Pepco, etc, so that the budget deficit was reduced and the entities started earning profits.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik briefed the committee on the law and order situation in Karachi. Sources said during the meeting, Rehman Malik and Mian Raza Rabbani exchanged hot words when the latter expressed his dismay over reports of operation in Karachi.
Raza Rabbani asked as to who had ordered the operation in Sindh, as Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza did not have any knowledge about it.
Rehman Malik replied in a harsh tone that the decision for launching the operation in Karachi was taken by the higher authorities and what he said and did was as per the directions of the president and prime minister.
“I have not done anything against the policies of the president and prime minister. I only followed what I was asked to do by the president and prime minister,” sources said while quoting the federal interior minister.
Some members criticised Rehman Malik for interfering into the matters of the Sindh Home Department; and responding to the remarks, the interior minister said he was not fond of going to Karachi every day but he only visited Karachi just because of the MQM.
Rehman Malik was of the view that better working relationship between the PPP and MQM was in the national interest.
It was informed that the operation in Karachi was kept secret but the desired results were not achieved. It was also told that the PPP, MQM and ANP workers who were involved in criminal activities were arrested. It was also decided that the civil administration will continue to launch operations against the criminals who were involved in heinous crimes.
However, appreciating the measures thus far taken by the Interior Ministry to restore law and order in Karachi, the meeting resolved to deal with those involved in target killings with an iron hand without discrimination, and to restore normalcy in the city at all costs.
The president was upset with the statements of Nabil Gabol. The meeting also decided that the expenses on the building of Mohtrama Shaheed Benazir Bhutto memorial in Islamabad will be borne by the PPP.
The president apprised the meeting of his recent visits to the USA and the UAE and his talks with President Obama and other leaders.
ISLAMABAD: The Core Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has given a nod to the government to move forward with economic agenda given by the opposition parties to bring the country’s fragile economy back on track.
The Core Committee took the decision during a meeting held at the Presidency late Friday night, which was jointly chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
According to sources, Law Minister Babar Awan briefed the committee regarding the ongoing dialogue with the PML-N on the 10-point agenda of Nawaz Sharif.
The sources said Babar Awan informed the meeting that both the parties were moving forward as 80 per cent agenda was doable with no delay, while the remaining could be adopted for long-term basis.
The prime minister, who dubbed the government and PML-N committee as “Economic Challenges Committee”, expressed his optimism for preparing a roadmap to meet the economic crisis.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira also endorsed that all the doable recommendations of the political parties should be accepted.
The president and prime minister had decided to move forward with the restructuring plan of public sector enterprises such as PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, Railways, Pepco, etc, so that the budget deficit was reduced and the entities started earning profits.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik briefed the committee on the law and order situation in Karachi. Sources said during the meeting, Rehman Malik and Mian Raza Rabbani exchanged hot words when the latter expressed his dismay over reports of operation in Karachi.
Raza Rabbani asked as to who had ordered the operation in Sindh, as Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza did not have any knowledge about it.
Rehman Malik replied in a harsh tone that the decision for launching the operation in Karachi was taken by the higher authorities and what he said and did was as per the directions of the president and prime minister.
“I have not done anything against the policies of the president and prime minister. I only followed what I was asked to do by the president and prime minister,” sources said while quoting the federal interior minister.
Some members criticised Rehman Malik for interfering into the matters of the Sindh Home Department; and responding to the remarks, the interior minister said he was not fond of going to Karachi every day but he only visited Karachi just because of the MQM.
Rehman Malik was of the view that better working relationship between the PPP and MQM was in the national interest.
It was informed that the operation in Karachi was kept secret but the desired results were not achieved. It was also told that the PPP, MQM and ANP workers who were involved in criminal activities were arrested. It was also decided that the civil administration will continue to launch operations against the criminals who were involved in heinous crimes.
However, appreciating the measures thus far taken by the Interior Ministry to restore law and order in Karachi, the meeting resolved to deal with those involved in target killings with an iron hand without discrimination, and to restore normalcy in the city at all costs.
The president was upset with the statements of Nabil Gabol. The meeting also decided that the expenses on the building of Mohtrama Shaheed Benazir Bhutto memorial in Islamabad will be borne by the PPP.
The president apprised the meeting of his recent visits to the USA and the UAE and his talks with President Obama and other leaders.
(source: the news)
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