LAHORE – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Friday that the government was aware of the current energy crises and was taking steps to resolve them, and that the gas and electricity shortage problems would be resolved in six months.
The prime minister’s claim of overcoming power shortage might not be taken seriously by the people as his former water and power minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had made repeated claims and even gave deadlines to resolve the power crisis, but the situation only worsened. Gilani said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government respected the judiciary and was struggling to maintain a balance in all the institutions, adding that dictators who did not give anything to the country in their tenures did not stand a chance.
Gilani told reporters after the 9th convocation ceremony of Lahore College of Women University (LCWU) here on Friday that those who did not give anything to this country should know they would never come into power in future. He said his appearance in the Supreme Court was proof that he respected the judiciary and added that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave a constitution to the country and the government was fighting for it now. He said the opposition was doing what it was supposed to and the government would run according to the mandate given to it by the people. The premier said the only stable position rested with God Almighty. He said further that every institution must work within the ambit of the constitution and that the government had strengthened the state organs by restoring the constitution to its original form. He said those who came into power in the past but could not give anything to the country were now claiming they would end corruption and poverty, but they had failed to do so when they were in power. “It is the job of the opposition to criticise the government and the people should let them fulfil their duty. What did they do when they were in power?” said the prime minister. He also said he was the longest-serving democratically elected prime minister of Pakistan.
Talking about NATO attack on Pakistani checkposts in Mohmand Agency, the prime minister said the government had taken stern action against the attack and it was his government who had asked the United States to vacate the Shamsi airbase and also boycotted the Bonn Conference and blocked NATO supplies going through Pakistan. He said the joint session of parliament would decide whether NATO supplies would be resumed or not. He said the government took these steps because it was not answerable to any other country. Earlier, addressing the convocation ceremony as the chief guest, Gilani said only God’s throne was invincible and the state institution should consider their limitations and should perform their duties within the boundaries. – pakistantoday
