Government to Accept Decision of SJC: Musharraf        
By Khawaja Ahsan Paul 'Pakistan Times' Punjab Bureau Chief

GUJRANWALA: President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday said the reference before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) was a constitutional and judicial matter and the government will accept whatever decision is taken by the SJC.

“This is a constitutional and judicial matter. The decision would be constitutional and to be taken by the judiciary itself...whatever decision it (SJC) takes would be acceptable to me”, the President categorically stated while addressing a big public meeting here, with reference to a constitutional reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The President said he has all the respect for the judiciary and the Supreme Judicial Council and believed that it (SJC) would deliver justice.

He, however, regretted that the issue, which is a constitutional and judicial matter, was being politicized and used for political point-scoring through the lawyers’ community.

The President said he cannot speak more on the issue, as it is a sub-judice matter.

He however added: “Once the decision is taken by the SJC, I would address the nation on TV and take them into confidence about the issue”.

He also set aside the impression that the lawyers’ community was not with the government, and mentioned and hailed the presence of a large number of lawyers in the public meeting.

The President also referred to the agitation of some lawyers before the Supreme Court building in Islamabad and in Lahore and said only a small segment of the lawyers community were there and that too for political purposes.

He said that he would himself inform the nation on television about judgment of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in presidential reference against the non-functional Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Musharraf said that he respects judiciary and believes that the Supreme Judicial Council would do full justice in the matter of the non-functional chief justice.

He said that he would himself inform the nation on television about the decision taken by the SJC.

Musharraf said that some people are using lawyers to serve their personal political goals. They would be exposed before the nation after the SJC decision, he said. The time has now ripe to expose the political parties and politicians using this issue to take political mileage, he said.

President said that a man recently slain a woman minister of Punjab in Gujranwala in the name of religion. “We would throw these elements out of the society who are involved in such heinous acts using the name of religion” he said.

Musharraf said there was so-called democracy in Pakistan in the past but we have introduced genuine democracy in the country.

General Elections

President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday called upon the people to vote for those forces who are with him, to strengthen the democracy and for continuity of the policies of present government, which are aimed at putting the country on the path of development, progress and prosperity.

“True democracy has been established in the country. The local bodies and Senate have successfully completed their tenures, while the elections of National and Provincial Assemblies will be held by the end of this year”, the President said while addressing a big public meeting here.

Governor Punjab, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Khalil Maqbool, Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervez Illahi and District Nazim Gujranwala, Muhammad Fiaz Chatha also addressed the public meeting, which was attended by a number of federal and provincial ministers, parliamentarians, Tehsil and Union Council Nazims.

He said that the elements involved in the negative politics, did not want the democratic system to take roots in Pakistan.

“I will come upto the expectations of the people who have always supported the truth,” Musharraf said.

The President also urged the people to reject extremism and terrorism in its forms and manifestations and said, “this is eating us like termite internally and is affecting our image externally.”

He referred to the recent killing of a provincial minister Zill-e-Huma in Gujranwala by an insane person and regretted that he (murderer) killed the lady in the name of religion.

“This is a scar on the name of religion, as Islam does not preach such things”, he stressed.

The President also referred to a letter received by him in which the parents of a boy had sought his help in recovery of their son taken away and misled by some Jihadi organization. “Do not let you misled by such people”, he stressed.

The President also dispelled the wrong impression about the missing persons and said the present government does not believe in such politics.

He called upon the people to use their influence to guide such people who want to create anarchy in society. “Do not let you children to be misled. there is no danger to Islam in Pakistan and no law can be made against the spirit of Islam in country,” he added.

The President said, Pakistan was a nuclear and missile power and we have to take this forward on the path of progress and prosperity.

Package for Gujranwala

President General Pervez Musharraf also announced a Rs. 7 billion package for Gujranwala for development of roads, sanitation, disposal of solid-waste, parks and library facilities.

The President also announced Rs 10 million for each Union Council of Gujranwala District for increased development works in rural areas.

Every Union Council will get Rs. 5 million during the on-going fiscal year, while Rs. 5 million would be made available to them in the next financial year, he said and added the government would provide more resources for development as per requirement.

The President said it was the right of people to demand funds for development and the government was duty-bound to provide the same, adding, the present government has ample resources unlike the past when the national kitty was empty.

He also announced the provision of sui gas supply to Francis Town, a residential colony of minority community and said the country’s minorities have also equal rights on resources.

He said, owing to the present government’s prudent economic policies the national economy has been strengthened and unlike past now there are abundant resources for development.

The President said, in contrast to the 1988-99 period when the development budget was to the tune of around Rs. 70 billion, the present government has allocated Rs. 415 billion for development during the current fiscal year.

Only Punjab province has Rs. 100 billion for development, he said and remarked that in the past there were only empty slogans.

The President said as against the past, the democratic system has strengthened, with true democracy where women have secured their due status in the political arena and the development works for communication system, roads, highways, sea-ports, airports, dams etc. going on across the country at a fast pace.

He in this respect also mentioned the mega development projects like Gawadar Seaport, Gawadar Airport, Islamabad Airport, night landing facility at Quetta airport, Dams and Water Storages.

The President said the Mangla Raising project, to be completed by the end of current year, will help improve the water availability for irrigation purposes.

President Musharraf said the present government also started a Rs. 66 billion project for lining of 86,000 water courses across the country, adding, the work on 40,000 water courses has been completed with the spending of Rs. 30 billion so far while the remaining work would be completed in two years.

The President said the government was committed to transform the benefits of economic growth to masses.

He said, the government has also initiated a big programme of skills enhancement and vocational training across the country to enable the unemployed youth to get suitable jobs.

Besides, the President also referred to the National Internship Programme launched by him on Wednesday and said under the programme 20,000 masters degree holders would be provided jobs at Rs. 10,000 per month salary, adding, billions of rupees would be spent on this programme.

He also called upon the people to benefit from the government’s Rozgar Scheme under which upto Rs. 100,000 easy loans are available for small businesses like Riksha, Mobile Utility Stores and PCOs.

This programme will help check the unemployment and poverty, particularly in rural areas, he added.

The President said the government was committed to provide electricity and gas facility across the country, adding, work is in progress to provide gas facility to every Tehsil and the villages that come in the way of gas pipeline.

Similarly, he said, the government will provide safe and clean drinking water and water filtration plants would be installed in every village across the country having over 100 houses.

The President said, various projects of health and education are being carried out in every part of the country.

500KV Grid Station

Earlier, the President performed the ground-breaking of a 500 KV grid station, to be built at Gakhar at a cost of Rs. 4.5 billion.

The project, to be completed in a period of one and a half years, will help improve the smooth supply of electricity in the rural areas of Narowal and Hafizabad, the President said while addressing a big public meeting here.

He assured that every village in District Gujranwala having over 10 houses would be provided electricity.●