Only Parliament has right to take decisions: Kaira

Haroonabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday said only the Parliament and political forces had the powers to take political and administrative decisions.

Addressing a press conference here, Kaira said, “We welcome all the parties, which want to do politics according to the Constitution. We will not support those, who want to impose their agenda through force.” He said President Asif Ali Zardari strengthened democracy by transferring all his powers to the Prime Minister and the Parliament.
He said during the last four and a half years, the PPP-led government had faced many internal and external challenges, including terrorism, law and order in Swat and Malakand, energy crisis, threat of being isolated internationally, economic recession, food crisis and floods.
About his government’s achievements, the Information Minister said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had brought all the political forces of the country at one platform and freed Swat and Malakand from the clutches of terrorists.

He said the government brought Pakistan out of international isolation.”The government managed to get assistance form the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum through the coordinated efforts.”
He said the government had made the country self-sufficient in wheat. Today the country is exporting wheat and sugar while it had to import 2.5 ton wheat in the past, he added.

He said the government granted autonomy to the provinces through the NFC Award under which 70 per cent resources were being transferred to the federating units.

An equitable system of resources distribution has been devised, under which the provinces have got an additional amount of Rs 1,000 billion, he added.

Replying to a question, Kaira said there were no obstacles in holding of general elections on time. The caretaker government will be set up till March 16 after the dissolution of assemblies and the consultation in this regard will be started soon, he added.

He said the criteria of the caretaker set-up was laid down in the Constitution that Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition would decide about the head of the caretaker government. If both fail to evolve consensus, then a committee will finalize the names. In case of committee’s failure, the Election Commission has the right to take a decision, he added.

Kaira said the Pakistan Peoples Party believed in the politics of ideology, not of caste and creed.About chief of Tahreek Minjhaj-ul-Quran Dr Thair-ul-Qadari, he said the government would respect his viewpoint in accordance with the Constitution.”Allama Tahirul Qadri should seek people’s support through popular public vote as no one can be allowed to oppose the Constitution,” he added.

He said during Pervaiz Musharraf’s regime, Tahir ul Qadari left the country due to some reasons, but it was the democratic government that allowed him to come back.Replying to another question, he said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had spent the major chunk of provincial budget on the uplift of Lahore, depriving the South Punjab of its right for development.

Kaira said Shahbaz Sharif had raised the slogan of “Jaag Punjabi Jaag” but ignored the development of South Punjab.