Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) Bill was tabled in the National Assembly after having consensus of the provinces in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting. He was talking to media after inquiring about the health of former Senator Gulzar Ahmed Khan here at a hospital. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan also accompanied him.
The Prime Minister said, no political party including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had rejected the RGST, however, the difference of opinion was the essence of democracy. It is not a matter of political parties but a provincial subject, he said, adding, under the 18th amendment of the Constitution, it was pre-requisite to have consensus of all the provinces in this regard.
To a query, he ruled out the impression that Pakistan was being pressurised by any foreign country to impose RGST, citing, "We are also politicians and people have elected us, and we are not enemy of public." To a question, he said the federal and provincial governments had been given away the initial assistance of Rs 20,000 cash to each flood-hit family by contributing equal amount, while, the government did not back out from giving the capital assistance of Rs 80,000 to the flood victims. At the CCI forum, he added, the provinces had shown their inability to provide the agreed amount of Rs 80,000 to each flood affected family, which left the federal government with no other option but to impose Flood Tax for generating funds to resolve the problem. The flood tax is not a permanent feature but an interim arrangement to be imposed for a period of six months, he maintained.
The Prime Minister said the international community was helping out flood-hit Pakistanis from their tax-payers'' money and they also expected from Pakistan to do something at its own. In the Pakistan Development Forum''s meeting to be held from today (Sunday), "We should send a message to the world that we are a civilised nation and do not depend totally on the foreign assistance."
To a question about PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif''s criticism and corruption charges on the government, the Prime Minister said, "Mian Sahib is our elder (Bazurg) and we will tolerate his criticism." He, however, added the political institutions and democracy could not strengthen its roots in the country, as the political leadership had always been discredited and every elected government was dismissed on the charges of corruption, which (charges) receive immediate response from the masses.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Mian Nawaz Sharif had been dethroned twice after being subjected to such allegations, while Muhammad Khan Junejo had also faced the same situation, he said, asserting that back in 1958, martial law was imposed after levelling corruption charges even against the governments of Suhrwardi and Khawaj Nazim-ud-Din, who were among the founders of Pakistan.
Gilani said that democratic institutions would further strengthen after the passage of Accountability Bill from the parliament. To another question, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) welcomed the unification of some factions of Pakistan Muslim League and this move would prove to be beneficial for the nation. The Leagues'' unification is nothing to do with the PPP government, he said, the PPP had no apprehensions from this move.