Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that general elections would be held on scheduled and time and shortcut seekers should wait for elections which would held in 2013 and democratically elected government will complete its constitutional tenure. Nobody would be allowed to hijack the ballot on gunpoint, she warned.
Talking to reporters at village Lalian on Sunday, she said that some leaders were harping song of early elections in the country and in fact such leaders don't believe in democracy. It was very unfortunate that democracy was not prospered in the past resultantly the democratic institutions remained weak in the country, she said. The minister said it was PPP leadership who was struggling for bringing stability in institutions and President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were making strenuous efforts that government and parliament should complete constitutional tenure. At this juncture, collective efforts were direly needed for bringing political stability, strengthening institutions and for the promotion of democracy in the country Dr Firdous said.
She revealed that a power generation plan for generating 4-megawatt electricity plant would set up at Head Marala with the help of China adding that cabinet had approved the project. The provincial governments are fully authorised to undertake power generation projects in their respective provinces, she said. She said that provincial governments should avail opportunities for initiating power projects to cope with energy crisis. We can overcome shortage of energy by initiating power projects at provincial level and get rid of menace of load shedding on permanent basis, she added.
The minister said availability of sufficient electricity was direly need to keep the production wheel in full motion and under the circumstance provincial government should take drastic steps in this direction. PPP government was making adequate efforts for completion of people's projects without any hindrance to facilitate the masses across the country she added. Dr Firdous further stated that provision of basic amenities like sui gas, electricity and means of communication in politically neglected and far-off areas was top on government agenda. Earlier, the Information Minister inaugurated the electricity project in the area.