President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed for a collective parliamentary decision to address the Balochistan issues, saying constitutional cure for Balochistan's problems would be more effective. The parliament should collectively take a decision rather than a presidential pardon which would probably give temporary relief to the province's issues, the President said.
He said as the parliament and constitution are sovereign, the constitutional cure for Balochistan's problems would be more effective, adding hopefully in this parliamentary year or much ahead, this would be tabled in the parliament after the Eid. The President expressed these views in an exclusive panel interview with APP here on Tuesday.
On a question about presidential doctrine on Balochistan, the President categorically said it was rather Benazir Bhutto's doctrine on Balochistan since she stepped into the country. He said the party apologised for the wrong-doings incurred to the province during Pervez Musharraf's era. It is just one mannerism of accepting the collective responsibility again for the rest of the three provinces, he added.
The President stressed the need for other three provinces to understand the problems of Balochistan and take responsibility in joining hands to finding a cure. He said political debate had been initiated on Balochistan, first with intellectuals and then with the regional parties and also asked the joint session of parliament to find a solution.
He said that yesterday, he was briefed by Senator Raza Rabbani on Balochistan document, which he said would be shared by the Prime Minister as Leader of the House. When asked about his biggest achievement during his tenure, Zardari said to assess one's own self was rather a bit presumptuous.
The President called himself as a "pillar of the parliament," adding he and the government were working effectively. He said the government's efforts had brought the Friends of Pakistan together that initiated a new thought process for the development of the country.
The President said he would be jointly chairing a summit at Untied Nations this month with US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which he said would prove as a political vehicle to address the challenges faced by Pakistan and the problems of the region.
"It is the collective responsibility of the world. This is our achievement that we have managed to bring people on the same table where people from 180 nations will sit and think in the interest of the region," he said. To a question regarding seeking spiritual guidance from Benazir Bhutto to guide him in running affairs of the state, the President said, "We are not disconnected. We walk in her thoughts. I am taking her vision forward."
The President said Mohtarma's last message for politicians was the spirit of reconciliation based on tolerance, which have been manifested by the government within last 18 months. Zardari said he as President and Yusuf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister took oaths of their offices in the name of Benazir Bhutto to carry forward her dreams for the betterment of the nation.
President Zardari to a question about the recently announced Gilgit - Baltistan package and the perception that it was being seen as an attempt to de-link it with the Kashmir issue, the President said there could be different opinions about everything.
"But we are going by ground realities. It was a long standing demand and the people there faced many problems. However, the President said "By and large it has been taken well by the people." Referring to Gilgit-Baltistan, he lamented that there were certain places in the country where there was no law of the land, for no reason.
"To acknowledge and give them their due status is a realisation of what was enshrined in the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed's political doctrine for the people," the President said. He said Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the first person to have visited the area and what we have done is to take forward his vision.
When asked to comment on the Presidency's role during transition from martial law to democracy, the President said there was a need to realise the difference in system created by the dictator who placed his own paraphernalia around him that resulted into creation of a weak governance system. "They (dictators) don't give strength to the prevailing system of democracy. They always break them," he said.
The President said democracy is the call of the day and it makes space for itself. He termed democracy as the strengthening of responsibility of state and society, which has become the "new voice of Pakistan." On Taliban, he said it was the collective responsibility of the world to control them as "they were created collectively." "So their ownership and the cure should also be considered collective rather than singular," he added.
President Zardari mentioned US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement acknowledging Pakistan's role and the present government's contribution in this regard. He described terrorism as a cancer that had taken roots in this region and hoped that the world would come to share this collective responsibility in eradicating the menace from the region.
About the recent military successes in parts of NWFP and Fata against the militants and terrorists and how the government has been able to curb this tendency, the President said the matter has been resolved as the people took collective responsibility and ownership to address it. He said "bringing political ownership to the situation is one part of the solution. Democracy is one part of the solution, winning physically on the ground is another part of the solution."
However, "the real victory lies in taking ownership of the issue and area by the people." "What I consider victory is the peoples ownership," the President said and added that the people of Swat, Buner, Malakand, were now taking ownership of their own space.
The President, however, warned that "the militancy and militants are still on the ground and we need to take a united stand and not become complacent on anything. "We should understand that this is a long-term war and will go on but the first victory is the intellectual and moral victory."
To a question President Zardari said Parliament was the major ingredient reflecting political wisdom of the people of Pakistan. He said it was collective wisdom of the people who elected their representatives and they chose their prime minister; who was first chosen by the Pakistan Peoples Party through a process and finally the parliament voted him in unanimously.
About the progress on the Charter of Democracy, the President said the biggest step forward was the Public Accounts Committee headed by opposition leader. It was set up in pursuance of the Charter of Democracy (COD) and the chairmanship has been given to the Opposition.
About abolishing the 17th amendment President Zardari said he twice addressed the parliament and referred the matter to the parliament. He emphatically said, "we are coming close to that position. I think that it should complete during this parliamentary year."
While responding to a question about the ongoing sugar, energy and atta crises, he said: "It is not in my purview and it is not the President's job to interfere in the affairs of the government of the day. It's the job of the Parliament and the provincial government and all this is a provincial subject. If there is a weakness in provincial set-up, I hope the federal government, provincial governments will look into it." Regarding the judiciary, he said after years of suppression and "manoeuvring" by the dictators, "it has come to its own self and (as an institution) it is in the process of evolution and let's hope that this evolution strengthens them."
About his recent visits to China, the President said he was following the policies of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto that China was the next economic superpower of the world and the present government has re-emphasised this policy and taken the relationship to higher level.
China is going to be the next regional economical power of the world and since "we have strong ties, we need to transfer these to a collective success, in marketing, regional growth etc". To a question the President regretted that he could not give enough time to the party, as much as he desired, but still was able to take measures for further strengthening of the party. He said soon after the Ramadan, a membership drive would be launched.
He said every minister and department was working better than it was before, since the new government came into power. "There is a fresh breath, new collective challenges, that need to be addressed, otherwise these would have an impact on the party."
He said his first priority was to address the international challenges that Pakistan was facing. If these are corrected, the country's financial health will improve and will have a trickle down effect across the board, particularly for the poor of the country - who form the Pakistan People's Party. "I am working for the party, but through a different forum," he added.
To a question about the economic situation, the President said the situation was under control and added "hope is in the air" He said it was due to the "collective wisdom" of the government of the day that was guided by the policies of the PPP and other friends and people in the government, who are partners. He said there was a realisation and a forewarning that the global economy would be hit by recession soon. "We devised a home grown formula that we got accepted from the IMF and there was also a realisation to give space to stock exchange to enable it to perform, as we believe they are a natural barometer."
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