In joint session, President Zardari urges to put ‘national interest’ supreme

President Asif Ali Zardari addressed on Monday the joint session of parliament to start the second parliamentary year of the current National Assembly.

President Zardari summoned the joint session of parliament on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The president said that it was his honor to address the house as a civilian president for the eighth time at the beginning of the parliamentary year.

Speaking amid noisy sloganeering from opposition members, President Zardari said that the new parliamentary year is an opportunity to review progress and reaffirm the commitment to building a better future for Pakistan.

“As we embark on this new parliamentary year, I urge this House to focus on promoting good governance, and political and economic stability.”

People have pinned their hopes on parliament, and we must rise to meet their expectations, the president said.

“It is my first duty to remind you we need to work harder to strengthen our democratic system, restore public confidence in the rule of law, and put Pakistan on the road to prosperity.”

“I would like to appreciate the government’s efforts of putting the country on a positive path through economic growth,” the president said, adding that Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have experienced a surge

“There was a substantial increase in FDI and and the stock market also surged to a record high.”

Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, stability

“Outside our borders, the world is in different stages of transition. Pakistan remains committed to regional peace, stability, and economic integration,” the president said.

He further said that Pakistan’s foreign policy will always be guided by national interests, international cooperation, and the principles of sovereignty and mutual respect.

“We should enhance our cooperation with friendly regional countries in the areas of trade, economy, and climate and culture exchanges. We will continue to play our role as a responsible and peace-loving nation.”

‘Must focus on development of regions most affected by terrorism’

The president noted the current internal and external security challenges, saying that parliament needs to play a role in rebuilding a “consensus to tackle extremist ideologies as well as the militancy that supports such violence”.

Zardari says armed forces fully prepared to defeat terrorists

“We are all aware of the external support and funding that terrorists are getting today, causing human and financial losses to the nation.”

We must unite to ensure that challenges don’t gather more momentum, because already thousands of our security forces have sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism, and we cannot allow resurgence again.“

The president said that they should not forget that militancy finds roots in deprivation and inequity, “so we must focus on the development of regions most affected by terrorism and create employment”.

‘Pakistan will always stand by the Kashmiris’

Speaking about Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the president said that the issue remains a grave concern for the entire nation.

“The people of Kashmir have been suffering for decades under the unjust occupation, oppression, and brutal human rights violations by the successive Indian regimes.”

NA iterates nation’s support to Kashmiris

He said that Pakistan will always stand by the Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination, and called upon the international community to take decisive action against the atrocities being committed by the Indian Occupation Forces.

“The voice of the oppressed will not be silenced, and Pakistan will continue to raise this issue at every international forum,” the president reaffirmed.

Essential to empower women

The president said that while women constitute almost 50% of the country’s population, they are under-represented in every aspect of life.

“It is essential to empower them by enhancing their representation in various sectors,” President Zardari said.

“The most important intervention we can make as government and parliament, is to make women at the bottom of the social pyramid financially independent in accordance with the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.”

He added that BISP remains a crucial lifeline for millions of families and its reach must be expanded, and “cash transfers should be further enhanced”.