General Election to be Held on Schedule: Musharraf
By Aziz Malik 'Pakistan Times' Federal Bureau Chief

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf Wednesday said that general election in the country will be held on schedule in a fair and transparent manner.

Addressing parliamentarians belonging to Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and allied parties at a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the PM House the President expressed his resolve "to take all decisions in the best national interest without fear or favour," a press release from the PM House said.

The President told the meeting, preceding the commencement of the Budget session in the National Assembly, that the country has achieved substantial economic progress and high growth during the last seven years.

President General Pervez Musharraf said the development process will move forward in the years ahead through a combination of continuity of policies and consistency of implementation.

The President, who joined the luncheon meeting on special invitation of the Prime Minister, said the gains made over the years were being transferred to the common man and added that the forthcoming budget will be a step in that direction.

He said measures were afoot to reduce poverty and increase employment and livelihood opportunities, steps have been taken to check inflation, and provision of essential commodities at affordable prices.

The President said the country was secure and its defence impregnable. He said the real defence lies in economic development and prosperity of the people and added that it was the primary focus of government's economic policies.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the next budget will fulfil people's aspirations and positively impact all sectors of economy and segments of society including the salaried class, wage earners, farmers and traders.

He said the record PSDP for 2006-07 would create economic opportunities and jobs. Poverty will further decline and there would be visible improvement in the quality and standard of life of the common man with better facilities of health and education.

He said the country has achieved record economic growth during the last seven years and now the government is transferring the benefits of growth to the people at the grassroots level.

The lunch hosted by the Prime Minister was attended by 150 MNAs, Federal Ministers and Ministers of State and a select group of Senators belonging to PML and allied parties.

Earlier President and the Prime Minister held an exclusive meeting at the PM House and discussed prevailing situation in the country.●