Free, fair elections always in PPP interest: Gilani

Talking to a delegation of local journalists at his Defence Housing Authority residence here on Sunday, he said, the PPP had always been advocating for an independent election commission.

All the political parties and the parliament have full confidence in the present Election Commission, he added.

To a question, he ruled out the possibility of holding any mid-term election, saying when the provinces had in writing admitted that environment was not conducive to hold even the by-election.

The prime minister said that the PPP would convince the other parliamentary parties including the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) to hold local government election prior to the next general election.

The Election Commission, he added, told him that computerised voters list would be compiled by April 2012.

The PPP government is adhering to the politics of reconciliation and now it is up to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to ensure its comeback or not, he told questioner.

Gilani said that all the parliamentarians were being consulted on the mega projects, asserting the PPP has asked its parliamentarians to execute five percent of their development funds through party workers of their respective areas.

The PPP was not only looking after the masses through various federal government departments' projects including gas, electricity and poverty alleviation, but also benefiting from the expertise of their party men in different sectors, he said.

To a question, the prime minister said, "I have vast exposure to several governments, parliaments and as Speaker of the National Assembly," and added no government ever gave attention to the opposition with regards to release of developmental funds.

But the present government has the credit of ensuring an equitable distribution of funds among all the parliamentarians of the treasury and opposition, he said. "It will be highly unfair to divide our country at government or parliament level, as Pakistan is of all the Pakistanis," he added.

To another question, he said, Zulfiqar Mirza was a committed PPP activist and that he would not resort to creating any new party. "I do appreciate Mirza, who unlike others criticised the party, but after quitting all the party offices and resigning as a Sindh minister," he said.

Responding to a query, he said that the Interior Minister Abdul Rehman Malik had sent a facsimile (fax) to the Prime Minister's office last night, urging for the constitution of a judicial commission regarding the allegations levelled against him by Zulfiqar Mirza.

Gilani said that he had complete confidence in the country's armed forces, Pakistan Rangers, police and all other law enforcement agencies.

To a question he said that the Sindh Cabinet and law enforcement agencies, at a briefing, had pointed out nine troubled areas in Karachi and had suggested action there to maintain peace in the port city.

He added that he had directed them to take action across the board in those areas without discrimination. "I am confident the law enforcement agencies will not resort to any action, which is not in the interest of Pakistan," he said.

The prime minister said that all the state institutions, armed forces and law enforcement agencies are loyal to the country and working for security and peace.

He said the government was taking effective steps for rescue and relief of the flood-hit people in Sindh and Balochistan, adding, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was also coordinating with the respective governments and distributing meals and tents to the affected people.

About power crisis, the prime minister said that a committee comprising Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim, State Bank's Acting Governor and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission would give recommendations to the Federal Cabinet. And the government, he added, would also arrange an Energy Conference, to be participated by all the chief ministers.

Unlike the past practice of execution of power generation projects only through the federal government, he said, now the provincial governments, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan governments were also focusing on the electricity generation.

Replying to a reporter's query, he said, the police and other investigation agencies would soon manage to make headway in the investigation for early recovery of Shahbaz Taseer, the son of former slained Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011