Fighting corruption government's new year resolve: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza on Saturday expressed his government's resolve to launch a 'Jihad' against corruption in the new year (2011) by making legislative measures including the approval of accountability law.
"It is our resolve for the new year, that we will launch 'Jihad' against corruption. I have talked to Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) so that we can adopt the accountability bill with consensus. And it is done in a way that nobody can raise a finger on it," Gilani said in a live question-answer television show aired on State Television and a private TV channel on Saturday evening.
The Prime Minister, however, mentioned the historical facts and said most of the governments in the past including the two tenures each of PPP and PML-N as well as the Junejo government faced corruption charges and even were removed on such charges.
"But with an active judiciary and parliament as well as a vibrant media in the country, there is a hell of difference between now and then," he remarked and said the corruption can also be addressed through ballot and the corrupt should not take part in the elections. The Prime Minister said after the parliament, to which the elected people are answerable, there is also Public Accounts Committee to check corruption and then there is judiciary as well.
During the unprecedented live television show, jointly hosted by PTV and Dunya TV, the Prime Minister responded to live calls and questions from the general public, which mostly related to the problems of common man and the government's policies to tackle various challenges.
Prime Minister Gilani to a question regarding the appointments of officers in some departments, allegedly involved in corruption, said there was a procedure for such appointments, adding, the people in question had served on key positions in the past.
About transparent process, he also mentioned the central selection board headed by Justice Baghwandas and added the present government also made criteria for the promotions in Grade-22 in the light of Supreme Court decision. Prime Minister Gilani, in response to a question about the JUI-F's decision to part ways with the government, said Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman remained in the coalition for three years and never had any complaint.
"We take his criticism in positive sense. He (Maulana) has his own opinion," Gilani remarked when asked to comment on Maulana's criticism on him. The Prime Minister, however, added that the government would continue to make efforts to bring the JUI-F back into coalition.
About the problems with MQM, the Prime Minister said the MQM had some reservations and they had conveyed the same to him and President Asif Ali Zardari during the separate meetings. To a question about the PPP's policy of reconciliation, Gilani made it clear that reconciliation did not mean merger of any two parties, rather as it was a broad term and meant to have good relations and taking along all the parties and stakeholders including political forces, establishment, provinces and media.
In response to a question about growing inflation and price- hike, the Prime Minister attributed the trend to global recession, the war against terror as well as the impact of recent floods. About petroleum prices, Gilani said, the government had two options either to give subsidy, which means cut on development expenditures, or to regulate the prices of petroleum products according to the international trend.
He, however, added that as they were public representatives and had come to power through elections, they were aware of the public problems and the government would come up with a strategy to check the prices of petroleum products.
About mismanagement in PEPCO, the Prime Minister said, there was a Rs 260 billion circular debt which the present government inherited due to the policies of the previous government. He, however, added that the government has decided restructuring of eight big public sector entities and the matter would be taken up during the next cabinet meeting.
Responding to a question about power outages and electricity loadshedding, the Prime Minister said if the IPPs (Independent Power Producers), which were introduced during the PPP government in 1994 and there was a lot of hue and cry on this issue and even the government was toppled, were not in place there would have been even more problem today.
He said the present government has added 2000 MW of electricity in the system by setting up power plants and another 2000 MW would be added by the end of current year. Prime Minister Gilani, to a question about drone attacks, said he stood by his statement in the National Assembly that these attacks were counter-productive and creating problems for the armed forces as well as for the government.
"We isolate the militants from general public, but they get united due to such attacks", he remarked. Prime Minister Gilani said that the issue of Balochistan is very important and after coming into power the present government got released the Baloch leadership so that they could be brought in the mainstream politics to play their role.
"I assure the nation that in the new year, it is my resolve to mainly focus on Balochistan issue," the prime minister added. To a question, he said, the Frontier Constabulary cannot act without permission of the provincial government, adding, though it is a provincial subject but he has called the report.
The Prime Minster said that PML-N is playing the role of a responsible opposition, adding the government would go forward having its working relationship with all the opposition parties, particularly with the PML-N. He said the global recession, war on terrorism and the floods had badly affected the economy and multiplied miseries of the people, adding, the government would give subsidy to the poor on electricity and gas bills.
To a question about Pakistan-India ties after the Mumbai incident, the Prime Minister said, dialogue is the only way forward because both the countries cannot afford war. About the energy issue, the prime minister said, government is focusing on thermal, hydel, wind and Thar coal energy projects and constructing Diamir Bhasha dam to resolve the issue. Besides, agreements of Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline and Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects would help resolve the issues of electricity and gas loadshedding.
"We have also signed agreement to import Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and have given permission to the private sector and provinces to import it," he added. Prime Minister Gilani said that political stability was a must for economic stability, adding that the present government was stable and mere speculations cannot derail it. The Prime Minister congratulated the nation on the new year and said that a weak democracy is far better than dictatorship. He said that public is the best judge and after five years they would decide who to be voted.