AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: A meeting of some Federal Ministers and senior leaders of PPP with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani in chair today decided to hold by-elections to all the vacant seats in the assemblies and completing all legal formalities for this purpose at the earliest.
The meeting held at Aiwan-e-Sadr today also decided to begin consultative process with coalition partners in the Parliament on the issue of formation of new provinces. Appropriate legislative measures will soon be adopted in the Parliament for the carving out of Saraiki province in the light of consultations with political partners.
Those who were present during today’s meeting included Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, Senator A. Rehman Malik, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Syed Naveed Qamar, Ms. Sherry Rehman, Senator Faisal Raza Abidi, Senator Sardar Ali Khan, Mr. Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan, Ms. Rukhsana Bangash, Ms. Fouzia Habib and Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar.
Briefing about the meeting Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar said that political and economic situation was discussed during the meeting.
The meeting hailed the Cabinet decision Wednesday to support a private member bill that seeks to make it mandatory for all the public servants drawing their salary from the public exchequer to declare and make public details of their assets in the same manner as the parliamentarians do. The meeting noted that in the past such initiatives were thwarted on flimsy grounds and decided to push through the proposed legislation with vigor and political determination.
Mr. Babar said that the meeting rejected the proposal mooted by some political circles for the setting up of military courts as undemocratic, uncalled for and undermining the civil and democratic institutions. The Party will resist any such move, it said.
The meeting also welcomed Prime Minister’s announcement to lift ban on Government jobs. Noting that the announcement was awaiting formalization the meeting called upon the Government to urgently issue appropriate notification to this effect so that the doors for recruitment in Government departments were opened.
The Prime Minister briefed that meeting on gas, electricity, sugar and fertilizer situation in the country. Discussing the issue of gas, the Prime Minister said that the Government was giving top priority to domestic consumers and there will be no interruption to the domestic consumers.
He said that gas supplies to industry, cement, fertilizer and thermal power sectors would remain suspended during the current month due to expected increase in demand and consumption by the domestic sector.
The Prime Minister said that Cabinet Committee has been directed to introduce reforms in the energy sector as early as possible and to take necessary steps in order to reduce system losses by gas companies.
Mr. Babar said that a committee led by Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain has been tasked to hold talks with stakeholders in Sindh to share some of the gas produced in Sindh with Punjab and submit its report.
The meeting appreciated these measures and called for implementing the decisions and daily monitoring by the Energy Committee.
Briefing about the economic state of affairs, the Prime Ministers said that the Government’s efforts to broaden tax base have registered a significant success. He said that the austerity measures adopted by the Government have also yielded positive results. The measures to curtail budgetary expenditures have also met successes. He said that inflation has come down during the first six months of the current fiscal year as was witnessed by the downward trend in the Consumer Price Index and sensitive price index.
The meeting decided to mobilize people and to hold rallies and public meetings at the divisional levels throughout the country which would be addressed by the senior leadership of the Party including the Prime Minister.
It also asked President PPP KPK chapter, Senator Sardar Ali, to also make preparation for holding a public jalsa in the tribal area, the first of its kind by PPP after Political Parties Order was extended to tribal area by President Asif Ali Zardari in August 2011.
Mr. Babar said that the meeting decided to hold dialogue with all political parties and leaders for strengthening democracy in the country and to take the country out of myriad of problems.
Interior Minister Senator A. Rehman Malik also briefed the meeting on prevailing law and order situation.
Mr. Babar said that as a part of consultative process to take coalition partners on board on the issue of new provinces, President, soon after this meeting held meeting with ANP Chief Mr. Asfandyar Wali Khan. Current political situation and coalition matters were discussed during the meeting.
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