Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has expressed the hope that implementation on his 10-point national agenda would bring much-needed economic prosperity and stability in the country.
"The country's economy is sliding down fast and the PML-N is committed to bring prosperity for the nation," said Sharif, adding: "Pakistan is passing through critical period economically and politically and our agenda is in the country's interest," he said while talking to reporters at his Raiwind residence after chairing an informal meeting of party leaders. Among others Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Senator Ishaq Dar, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique attended the meeting.
The meeting was convened by the PML-N Quaid to discuss the situation after positive response from the Prime Minister on PML-N's 10-point agenda. Sources said that the meeting decided to fully support the government in implementation of the proposed national agenda. It also decided to exert pressure on the government to implement it in shortest possible time.
The meeting formed a 4-member PML-N committee comprising Senator Ishaq Dar, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Abdul Qadir Baloch MNA and Sardar Mehtab Abbasi MNA to play an advisory role and help the government, if it faced any problem in implementing the agenda or needed any guidance or advice. This committee will monitor progress on the implementation of the PML-N agenda by the government. The meeting also decided to present 10-point agenda to the government on Tuesday (today) formally through the committee.
Talking to reporters, Nawaz expressed satisfaction over positive response of Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani over the PML-N's agenda and said his party would fully support the government for the implementation of this national agenda. "The implementation of the agenda would help us maintain self-sufficiency and sovereignty," he said.
The PML-N Quaid said the government has withdrawn the petroleum prices and also accepted the reform agenda of the PML-N, whose implementation would bring the country out of crisis. "Our 10-point agenda is for the progress and prosperity of the country, as we had never raised issue for our own interest. My agenda is in the country's interest because our neighbours are progressing well while we are going downward," he said, adding: "All the demands were made for people of the country."
Nawaz further said he had not used the word 'ultimatum' during his press conference last week while presenting the 10-point agenda and this word even did not exist in his dictionary. He said the media exaggerated his last week's press conference because he had just asked the PM for saying 'yes' or 'no' for implementation on 10-point agenda. Since the government has said 'yes' to implement the agenda, hence, the PML-N would fully support the government for the implementation of this national agenda.
The PML-N Quaid said he had never asked for mid term polls in the country and the country cannot afford more experiences in the present critical situation. To another query, he said the Prime Minister has now become more powerful after the 18th Constitutional Amendment. He added that the government had not implemented the Charter of Democracy (CoD) in letter and spirit. He assured the government of all out support in the face of multiple crises that beset the country.
It may be noted that the PML-N through its 10-point agenda demanded removal of ministers, bureaucrats and heads of various autonomous bodies and corporations involved in corruption, setting up an independent accountability commission, implementation of the court's decision on the NRO, reduction in the size of the cabinet, formulation of a plan to end the energy crisis, reconstitution of the election commission, 30 per cent cut in government's expenditures and steps to ensure a check on the prices of items of daily use to provide relief to the masses.
On the other hand, some political analysts have expressed doubts about implementation of 10-point agenda and viewed that the move of Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had put PML-N back to square one leaving with no other choice except to accept the tactical move of the PPP-led government.