PML-N names for interim PM a 'political joke': PPP
08 March, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party on Thursday termed three names sent by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for the caretaker prime minister a 'political joke', leaving many in the political circles wondering whether the two parties could be able to reach a consensus on the name for head of interim government.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told journalists after meeting of the federal cabinet that one of the names proposed by Ch Nisar was a person whom they (PML-N) had been criticising in the past.
He expressed confidence that the ruling party will stand victorious in the next general election. He said the PPP would win the upcoming elections on the basis of its performance.
Kaira said credit of signing gas pipeline agreement with Iran goes to the PPP, and added that the party will present this achievement before masses in its election campaign.
He said government had serious reservations on the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to stop funds for the ongoing projects. He said government was under obligation to serve masses till the dissolution of assemblies. The information minister said that the cabinet had extended provincial quota in federal government jobs for another 20 years. He said the meeting also allowed import of non-prohibited bore arms to check their smuggling. The cabinet decided to provide farmers a subsidy of Rs 16 billion on agricultural tube-wells. He said the cabinet also approved establishment of Federal Law University. The cabinet allowed Unaccounted For Gas at 50 per cent of the demand made by the gas companies as an interim relief to them. A committee was also formed to determine the pricing formula, he added.
Earlier, in his opening remarks Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said orders had been issued to launch crack down against all banned outfits without any discrimination in order to eradicate terrorism and militancy from the country. "No effort will be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice and exemplary punishment will be given to those found involved in these cowardly attacks," he said.
The prime minister said blame game would not serve the common goal of defeating terrorism. He said the situation calls for collective will and efforts on the part of all political stakeholders and the civil society to eradicate it.
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