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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani inaugurating Manzalai Central Processing Facility in Karak at Prime Minister Secretariat. APP |
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said the government would accept any verdict of the Supreme Court on the fate of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that is going to lapse on Nov 28.
He was responding to a question while talking to media persons after the inaugural ceremony of Manzalai Central Processing Facility in Karak held at the PM House. He said the government was not fond of bringing the NRO in parliament and the step was taken as per the verdict of the Supreme Court.
“When we felt that the House was against bringing the NRO in the National Assembly, the government bowed before the public opinion and it was not made a point of ego. This should be appreciated,” he said.
About the fate of the NRO, he said the government would accept whatever is decided by the apex court. He said lists of the NRO beneficiaries would be presented in parliament. Asked if there were certain ministers in the list of NRO beneficiaries, would they resign after their cases are reopened, the prime minister posed a counter question, “Whom do you want to remove?”
He said if the previous government had taken action against terrorists 8-9 years back without wasting time the security situation would have been different now.
“Now I can assure you that the civil and military leadership are one on the issue and the whole nation is at war against terrorism,” he said. He said the Army has taken over strongholds of the militants in South Waziristan and the terrorist activities in various parts of the country are the fallout of the Army operation.
The prime minister said the government has decided to set up a Shuhada Fund for the martyrs of police and civilians to compensate their families. About the reported fulmination of Pervez Musharraf against President Zardari, the prime minister said: “We cannot expect any good thing from the former president.”
Replying to another question regarding his scheduled meeting with Mian Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, he said he had cordial relations and good understanding with Nawaz Sharif and had invited him to take him into confidence on the Balochistan package.
“I want to consult him as well as seek his opinion on the Balochistan package so that it could be incorporated in it,” he said. Commenting on a UN report that about 50 per cent Pakistani population suffered from malnutrition due to inflation, Gilani said the global recession has also adversely affected our economy but we are focusing on agriculture to avert the negative impact of this recession. “The government is taking measures to protect vulnerable segments of the society, particularly in the rural areas and has decided to facilitate them through the Benazir Income Support Programme,” he added. Commenting on the closure of CNG stations for two days and the protest of CNG stations, Gilani said in order to keep the industry afloat “people could use petrol for two days a week.”
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