Monday, November 17, 2008

Ahsan Iqbal slams govt for failing to bring change...


KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has advised the PPP-led government to create a business and investment friendly environment in the country through good governance and political stability.“The global economy has no religion and ideology however it needs peaceful and stable conditions,” PML-N Information Secretary and Member of the National Assembly Ahsan Iqbal said in a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.


Iqbal stated that the government must lay a business infrastructure, ensure stability through good governance and establish an independent judiciary to win investment and business ties from across the world.Answering a question, he said that the real issue is the lack of trust because the government hasn’t honoured the commitments it made with its political allies in the past. The PML-N official cited that Pakistanis living abroad own more than $200 billion and the prevailing economic crisis can be overcome if these Pakistanis give just 10 percent of their money. “We want the democratic process to succeed and for that we must cooperate with the government,” he said. Urging the government not to sell the Qadirpur Gas Field because it was a national asset, he said that the gas field was being sold to overcome the budget deficit, however, by selling the field only a month’s deficit will be covered. He went on to say that the PML-N and all the residents of Sindh reject the idea. “The government has failed to satisfy Pakistan’s allies who advised it to get a loan from the IMF,” Iqbal referred. Disagreeing with the impression that Saudi Arabia refused aid because of Nawaz Sharif, he said that international affairs are not like personal relations, and therefore, Sharif has nothing to do with the Saudi government’s policy.No change: To a question, he said that the people of Pakistan voted for change in the February 2008 elections but so far nothing has changed. “Under President Musharraf’s rule, the president was powerful and the prime minister was obedient to the president, and this continues even after the elections,” he said.


He said that the US-led attacks are on the rise now compared with such attacks occurring in the previous government’s tenure. “Pakistani people want to know what has changed, it is only a cruel joke with nation,” he said. Iqbal stated that Pakistanis want a change in the national security policy and no compromise will be accepted on national security and sovereignty. He reiterated PML-N’s view that PPP legislators should bring the bill in the Parliament to repeal the 17th amendment of the Constitution otherwise PML-N will go ahead and do it. He said even the PML-Q will back the legislation to curtail presidential powers. He urged the PPP to honour the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and implement the reforms proposed in it. staff report

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