National reconciliation to help take country forward: Gilani
'Pakistan Times' Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday said the new coalition government believes in policy of national reconciliation aimed at taking the nation forward, and has vowed not to repeat mistakes of the past.

Addressing participants of the 88th National Management Course under the National School of Public Policy, here at the PM House, the Prime Minister said “we want reconciliation and want to have a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to take our nation on path of progress.”

The Prime Minister said the challenges confronting the country require all political forces to stand united by rising above petty differences and work for a better future of the country.

He cited poor economy, wheat crisis, energy shortage and inflation as some of the most pressing issues that demanded immediate action.

Gilani recalled his five years in jail and around eight years by PPP’s co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and said despite it they were not bitter and wanted to take along all to secure a better future of the country.

He said the charter of democracy inked by later Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in London was part of this grand vision of reconciliation.

“We apologized to the nation for our past mistakes and have vowed not to repeat in future ... we have accepted Nawaz Sharif’s mandate in Punjab and he has accepted ours in the center,” he said terming it a sign of political maturity.

The Prime Minister said he believed in the supremacy of the parliament and wanted to maintain relations with all the institutions according to the constitution.

“We have committed to the nation to restore the constitution of 1973, restore the judiciary and ensure independence of judiciary and media.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said the people of Pakistan were conscientious and have voted in power moderate forces. He said that it was a split mandate and a broad-based government has been formed.

Gilani said in an unprecedented move in country’s parliamentary history, he was given a unanimous vote of confidence only because the people wanted the new government to resolve all the problems.

He said the law and order situation in the country was bad because of extremism and terrorism.

“We lost our great leader Benazir Bhutto, because of an act of terrorism,” Gilani said and vowed that his government will make Pakistan a safe place to live.

He also termed the economic situation of the country bad and mentioned that the shortage of wheat occurred because of wrong policies adopted by the previous government. He said inflated figures were given and on its basis export of wheat allowed, but later expensive wheat had to be imported to avert the crisis.

“However our government does not believe in blaming the previous government,” he said and added that it was committed to bring an improvement in the situation.

Prime Minister Gilani said the energy shortage was a serious matter and had we not set up the Independent Power Producers during late Benazir Bhutto’s tenure, the country would have been in a stone age.

The Prime Minister mentioned the threat of extremism and terrorism and said his government believed in use of force only when necessary as excessive use of force eroded its impact.

Gilani said a three-pronged policy was being pursued to counter the threat and focus was on uplift of the area, provision of health, education, socio-economic development, communication networks, business opportunities and infrastructure development.

The Prime Minister when questioned about the National Finance Commission award said the Pakistan Peoples Party believed in provincial autonomy and will keep in view the needs of the underdeveloped provinces.

He said within a year the concurrent list will be abolished and more provincial autonomy accorded.

Prime Minister Gilani hoped that the nation wants to give more time to the new coalition government to formulate new policies.

“We need the cooperation of the entire nation and the civil servants, who are at the helm of affairs, to help us in our task,” he said.

He said that he believed in strengthening of the institutions and mentioned the recent promotions in bureaucracy that were based on seniority, merit, competence, provincial quota.

He said the country can benefit a great deal from senior civil servants, however he urged them to work selflessly for the country with a committment to serve the people.

To a question about the lifting of the ban on student unions, he said it was aimed at training the new generation in the art of politics, so that they remain busy in social work and stay away from extremists.

However, he pointed that the activities of the student unions will be fully regulated and they will not be allowed to get involved in unhealthy activties.●