President chairs Punjab PPP parliamentary party meeting

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday reiterated that the PPP being the only federal and major political party in the country would continue to pursue the huge socio-economic development agenda as the people have reposed great confidence in the party during elections.The party would fulfill all the promises of peace, prosperity and development made to people during the mandated five-year tenure, President Zardari said this while chairing a meeting of PPP Parliamentary Party Punjab here in the Presidency on Thursday night.The meeting was attended by more than one hundred party parliamentarians form Punjab including the Federal Ministers, MNAs, Senators and MPAs.Briefing the journalists on the meeting, the Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting discussed in depth the progress made by the government, the current political situation in the country, reorganization of the party, measures for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood victims and recent successful talks of the government with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Pakistan.
The President while addressing the meeting urged members and workers of his party to avoid being provoked by negative propaganda against the party and the Government and asked them to remain calm and continue to pursue the path of political reconciliation.
The President said they will continue their forward march on the path of progress and prosperity of the people and complete the term despite the negative propaganda and machinations against them.The President said that the government is currently focusing on tackling the huge task of rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood victims besides creating economic opportunities, employment generation, poverty alleviation and socio-economic and political empowerment of the women of country which constitute more than half of the country’s population.
The President said that despite challenges and hurdles in its way the Government had waded through difficulties successfully and achieved significant achievements on political and economic fronts as well as on the fronts of fight against militancy.The spokesperson said that the President while commenting on the performance of the government during the last two and half years listed the unanimous approval of the 18th constitutional amendment, the National Finance Commission award, granting of more autonomy to the provinces, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, giving rights to people of Gilgit-Baltistan, poverty alleviation through BISP, reinstatement of the sacked workers, giving 12 percent shares in state-run enterprises to the workers, plans to give state lands free of cost to poor women in the command areas of the new dams as the major achievements of the democratic government.The spokesperson said that the President urged all the political forces including opposition parties to complement government’s efforts to rehabilitate the flood victims and added that in current situation while the country was faced with huge challenges, the country could ill afford politics of confrontation.
The President said: “The PPP knows the value of democracy because it has made huge sacrifices for its restoration and it will protect democracy at all cost.”He reiterated that the PPP led Coalition Government will face all the challenges with grace and composure and would rise to the expectations of the people.The spokesperson said that the President while apprising the party parliamentarians about his talks with the Turkish Prime Minister said that they have agreed to take the bilateral relations between the two countries to new heights in areas of commerce, trade and investment.The President said that the proposed up-gradation of the railway line between the two countries would not only speed up transportation of the cargo but would also open new vistas of opportunities for the people and would contribute towards economic development of the country.
The President also briefed the participants about his Wednesday‘s meeting with the US congressional delegation and said that he has stressed the US leadership and international community for early adoption of ROZs legislation to provide economic opportunities to the war ravaged people and bolster indigenous capabilities to confront militancy.
The spokesperson said that the President said that during his meeting with congressmen he has reiterated that increasing drone attacks were turning to become counter-productive because of issues of sovereignty involved.He said that drones would be far more effective and acceptable to the people if these were flown and operated by Pakistan’s forces under Pakistani flag.The Spokesperson said that the President then invited party parliamentarians to express their views on any issue they considered crucial.
Party parliamentarians spoke on host of issues including the current political situation and machination against the party.  Party parliamentarians reposed complete confidence in the leadership of the Co-Chairman of the party President Asif Ali Zardari and leader of the government, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.The meeting was continuing till the filing of this report – App