Presentation of fifth budget today: government to achieve a sort of record, says Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the government would achieve a sort of record by presenting its fifth budget on Friday which he hoped would be pro-people focusing on giving relief to common people.
"Although presenting fifth budget was itself an achievement for any democratic government, it was also an important indicator that democracy and democratic institutions were taking roots in the country and the policy of reconciliation was paying off", the president said while addressing the party MPAs of Sindh at Bilawal House Karachi, here on Thursday.
Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the wide ranging issues that the President touched upon included the current political situation, party policy on various issues, fight against militancy, election reforms, a neutral caretaker set-up, new province in South Punjab, poverty alleviation, the economic situation and the Nato summit in Chicago.
The President said that the PPP being the party of the masses was aware of the real issues of the people and was focusing on their early redressal. He said that the government realised the enormity of the challenge of energy shortage and was determined to overcome it in the shortest possible time. The president said that the policy of reconciliation within the country would continue and an effort was being made to take all political parties on board on important issues.
He directed the ministers and party MPs to reach out to the people and address their grievances. The ultimate court is the court of public opinion, the President said and called upon the party legislators and workers to share with the common people their woes and problems with a view to resolving them as far practicable. The Co-Chairman said that with over four years in the government, the PPP had many achievements to its credit and was in position to confidently revert to the people in the next general elections.
The President said that restoring 1973 Constitution, the passage of 18th, 19th and 20th Amendments, addressing poverty alleviation through the Benazir Income Support Programme, NFC Award, Aghaz-e-Haqooe-e-Balochistan, Gilgit-Balitstan reforms, Fata reforms and election related reforms were no small achievements of the Party which also had to fight the militants on the one hand and unprecedented natural disasters on the other.
About the proposal to carve out a separate province in South Punjab in accordance with the aspirations of the people the President said that it was not an election stunt but based on solid political reasons. Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying that that militants often camouflaged their real agenda behind the facade of religion or some political issue and that wisdom demanded that they were not allowed to hijack a genuine political issue and gain sympathies of the people.
This is partly the rationale behind the decision to give the Pakhtuns their identity by renaming their province as Pakhtunkhwa and for a new province in South Punjab, he said. The President also directed setting up of a four-member committee of Party MPAs to prepare periodic reports on the performance of various ministries and bring it to the attention of the party.
The meeting also asked the Chief Minister Sindh to set up a Medical University at the site of the proposed Benazir hospital in Keamari and give land to the residents of katchi abadies. Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuro, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, provincial ministers and Sindh Assembly members belonging to the PPP attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, Pir Sahib of Pagara called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House. According to the President's spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar current political situation and coalition matters were discussed during the meeting.