Western coalition partners want new government to have equation with Musharraf: Asif

Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali, former Foreign Minister and one of the closest confidantes of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said the western coalition partners want the new government to have equation with President Musharraf and continue the war against terrorism undisturbed.
In an interview Asif said that foreign ambassadors including US ambassador Anne Patterson had been meeting him and other leaders to emphasise their demand. However, he said the international coalition partners must realise that the Pakistani nation in February 18 polls have voted for "transformation" and not transitition from dictatorship to democracy. He said the first prioriority of the new government would be to restore supremacy and sovereignty of the Parliament and take the authority in its own hands.
For this purpose, he said the Parliament would have to delete Article 58 (2) B in the constitution which gives powers to the President to dismiss the National & Provincial Assemblies and the governments.
Asif, an economist by profession and a parliamentarian since 1985 said that during the past three decades the "Establishment" (Civil & Military bureaucracy and the vested interests) had been formulating the internal and external policies of the government.
"It would first time that instead of the "Establishment" the Parliament would deliberate and formulate all policies of the country," he added. He said that the new government would review its foreign policy and renogiate its terms with the United States and other western countries for participation in the war against terrorism for which it had paid a very heavy cost.
Asif said "the United States says it paid 10 billion dollar to Pakistan government during the past 6 years, but where this money has gone? no one knows."
He said the new government would call upon the United States and the other western countries to help Pakistan in strengthening the democracy and empowerment of the people by economic aid.
He said economic policies of the outgoing government have ruined the country as at present 40 percent population is living below the poverty line which is the highest in the world.
He said though the treasury is empty, there is wide gap in exports and imports, current account deficit is alarming, yet the government would have to give some relief to the teeming masses. He said different committees were working to finalise the modalities of the relief packages and amendments in the constitution.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly is meeting on Monday afternoon to elect leader of the house, who along with his cabinet colleagues will take oath as Prime Minister on Tuesday. Political observers say that once the new government is installed next week and take over executive powers of the Federal government, the process of transferring power to the new provincial governments would also start.
The coalition partners i.e. PPP, PML (N), ANP and JUI (F) have almost reached an agreement on the future set ups. PPP nominees will head the Sindh and Balochistan governments, PML (N) Punjab and ANP NWFP.
In a surprise move, the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement MQM, which dominates the Sindh urban areas, has also come on board with the coalition partners and withdrawn Dr Farooq Sattar as a candidate of the united opposition for the office of the Prime Minister.
At a news conference Sattar said that 25 members of the MQM will vote for the PPP nominee for Prime Ministership and his party has left it to PPP whether it wanted to include MQM in the provincial or Federal governments or not.