Economy is being revived: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that economy was being revived, saying that it has already made a moderate recovery in 2010 helped by supportive monetary and fiscal policies. Addressing certificate distribution ceremony of the participants of the 8th Senior Management Course and the 93rd National Management Course at National School of Public Policy here the prime minister said that the GDP growth had risen from 1.2 percent to 4.1 percent in 2010.
Gilani said that key economic indicators were promising except some structural weaknesses like the fiscal imbalance, which, he said, was being addressed He said the government had made enough progress in resolving and addressing the problems being faced by the country during its first three years despite serious internal and external challenges.
He said that despite these achievements, they had to go a long way. The prime minister said that the government needed support to resolve the multidimensional problems and challenges being faced by the country. He said Quaid-e-Azam wanted Pakistan to be a modern, developed and resourceful state, adding that this is a formidable task, demanding both state formation and nation building together and simultaneously.
Talking about his government''s achievements he said during the three years in rule they succeeded in making good progress despite flawed legacy of past policies and serious challenges. "These challenges were included spate of terrorism and religious extremism, deposed judiciary, aberrations in the constitution, economic crisis, unprecedented floods, energy shortages and other destabilising events, including the insurgency in Fata and Balochistan," he added.
Prime Minister said government responded to these challenges with political will, determination, and following the legacy of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto with a policy of national reconciliation. Given the range and scope of the challenges Pakistan was facing, the government realised that the only way to deal with these was to carry everybody including all the political forces along, he pointed.
Regarding the policy of reconciliation followed by the PPP government, he said it was aimed at developing a national agenda with the collective will and wisdom of the people, adding that at times this caused difficulties leading to stresses and strains within the coalition partners as well as ruling party, he added. However, he said the government remained committed to the policy of reconciliation for the good of the country.
Pointing out at the fragile economic growth in the country, he said that the economic growth has never been consistent and sustainable. He held the frequent interruptions in political system and lack of consistency and continuity in policies in the past as main reasons for that.
Enumerating the achievements of his government, the prime minister said that the government successfully carried out operation against militants in Swat and South Waziristan with the help of the Army and the people. He said there were retaliatory suicide attacks by the defeated elements but the government did not cowed down and remained firm to confront the menace of terrorism.
After the military operation, the government successfully sent back and rehabilitated the 1.7 million IDPs of Sawat and Malakand, he added. Prime Minister Gilani further said that the government restored deposed judges of superior judiciary including Chief Justice of Pakistan to the positions they were holding before November 3, 2007. He unequivocally stated that they respected judiciary and believed that an independent judiciary was in the best interest of democracy and the government.
Regarding purging the constitution of past distortions, he said the government policy of reconciliation helped repeal the 17th Amendment. The 18th Amendment made the parliament sovereign and restored the powers of the prime minister, he added.
The prime minister said that a sitting president, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, willingly surrendered his powers to the prime minister and parliament. Gilani said the Amendment also promoted genuine federalism and provincial autonomy, and paved the way for good governance in the country. He said the 19th Amendment went a step further and improved the procedure for the appointment of judges in superior courts.
He said the government gave ''Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan'' package which promised political, administrative, and economic development in Balochistan. He said the 7th NFC Award increased the provinces'' share in the federal divisible pool up to 57.5 percent, thus bringing about far-reaching fundamental changes in the federation-provinces financial relationship.
He said that the self-rule granted to Gilgit-Baltistan, Benazir Income Support Programme, Waseela-e-Haq, Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme, resolution the issue of net hydel profit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and gas development surcharge of Balochistan were some other achievements of the government.
Prime Minister Gilani said effort were being made to revive the economy, saying that economy has already made a moderate recovery in 2010, helped by supportive monetary and fiscal policies. Muhammad Ismail Qureshi Rector National School of Public Policy, Khushnood Akhtar Lashari Secretary Establishment and others were present on the occasion.