Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that there is no rift between the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan People's Party leadership. "There is no clash among the state institutions and they are working within the ambit of the Constitution," said Gilani while talking to media after a surprise visit at the residences of families of martyred of Islamabad Police at Karachi Company flats here on Saturday.
"The army is an institution, the judiciary is an institution and the parliament is also an institution. All the institutions are working properly. There is no clash among them," he added. Gilani further said that he enjoyed good relations with all the institutions and he would be worried only if the people of Pakistan were not standing with him.
"The people had given the government a mandate of five years and every effort would be made to fulfil their expectations," Gilani mentioned. To a question, he rejected the notion that the government was not serious in doing away with the 17th amendment, adding: "We are serious on the issue not only hundred percent, but two hundred percent," he said.
The Prime Minister reposed confidence in the leadership of the country and representatives of political parties in Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Reforms, and clarified that there was no deadlock of any sort in this regard. He said the Constitution of Pakistan was a guarantee for the integrity and solidarity of the country.
"If Pakistan Peoples Party cannot protect the Bhutto's 1973 Constitution, then no one else can," he added. To another question regarding terrorist activities in the country, he replied that the terrorists' agenda was to destabilise the government and now the people had realised that these were working on foreign agenda to destabilise the nation economically and morally.
"The nation stands united against terrorists and has no soft corner for such perpetrators," he added. He said the government had the ability and the resolve to fight terrorism, however, stressed the need for enhancing the capability of the law-enforcement agencies.
To yet another question about the government's incentives for police personnel, the Prime Minister said salaries of Islamabad Police had already been brought at par with the Punjab Police. "I have already disbursed Rs 0.3 million for the education of martyrs' children," he added.
About the discrepancy in the amount of compensation, announced for the victims of terrorism, he said the Federal and provincial governments had their rules and regulations for such allocations. He said that the children of police martyrs, who had joined police force as constables and passed matriculation examinations, had been promoted to the rank of ASIs.
He said the government would enhance the capacity building of police personnel and provide them effective training to fight terrorism. On the occasion, Gilani announced an increase in the compensation for martyrs of Islamabad Police and Frontier Constabulary to rupees two million, from Rs 0.5 million, and construction of 2,000 units as permanent residence on ownership basis.
He said the objective of his surprise visit to the residence of police personnel killed in various terrorist attacks in Islamabad was to see the way they were coping with their lives after loss of the family head. According to sources, the Prime Minister drove his unmarked armoured land cruiser to the dilapidated flats in Sector G-9/2 and condoled with the families of police personnel.
He expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incidents and offered Fateha for the departed souls. Gilani visited the residence of the family of Inspector Safdar Hussain and also met the families of constables Aftab Hussain Kayani and Haji Muhammad Ilyas, who were killed in a bomb blast near Melody Market in 2008.
He also met the family of Constable Abdul Mannan, who was martyred with boots on in the Egyptian embassy blast in 1995. He paid glowing tributes to the martyred officials and constables, who made a history of courage and valour while performing their official duties.
The Prime Minister said he had directed the authorities to streamline the issue of financial compensation to the martyrs' families. The families of the police martyrs expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his solidarity with them. Gilani expressed displeasure over the condition of residential flats in G-9/2, and said they looked like "slums". He directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure early maintenance of the place in its drive to celebrate its golden jubilee.