ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Monday denied that horse-trading was being done to woo opposition parliamentarians and pledged to run the country’s affairs in consultations with all the MNAs.
“This is absolutely incorrect that opposition MNAs have been pressured or bribed to increase support for the vote of confidence,” he further stated.
Speaking in the National Assembly after obtaining the vote of confidence, Mr Jamali regretted that all kinds of allegations were being hurled against his government, including horse-trading.
However, the prime minister said, he was thankful to those opposition MNAs who had supported him to help get 188 votes in his vote of confidence. He hoped that more and more opposition members would support him.
“Once I fell from a horse in 1966 and since then I never tried to ride a horse. Therefore, there is no question of my indulging in any horse-trading,” he said, smilingly.
The prime minister called upon the People’s Party Parliamentarians and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to give up opposition for the sake of opposition, and said his agenda was to serve the country without any discrimination.
“I also want to assure you that there will be no victimization and there will be no false cases against the opposition leaders and MNAs as had been witnessed in the past”.
Mr Jamali said he wanted a “task-oriented parliament” so that people’s problems could be lessened and the country progressed speedily.
Democratic institutions, he emphasized, needed to be strengthened by all the parties in parliament. Without naming Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, 1the prime minister said why should the parliamentarians look for those leaders who were not in the country.
“You must have confidence and faith in you to contribute for the betterment of the country rather than looking towards those who are sitting outside Pakistan.” Opposition MNAs should learn how to stand on their own feet, he maintained.
Mr Jamali said he believed in dialogue and would continue to invite opposition politicians to sit with him and resolve differences on major political and economic issues.
The country, he said, needed clean politics and accommodation to each other to strengthen democratic institutions. “If you show flexibility you would find me more flexible in every matter,” he held out the assurance.
“I can tell you that this parliament will complete its five years term,” the prime minister stated, hoping that his government would fulfil all the commitments and promises made to the nation.
The prime minister called upon the parliamentarian to behave like matured politicians and stop levelling unfounded allegations against the government.
Corruption, he pointed out, was an important issue which would be given importance by the government. “We will have to eliminate the corruption by offering better facilities to people.”
Mr Jamali said he knew that law and order problem needed to be given importance, “but it does not mean that opposition leaders should hold press conferences every now and then accusing the government of failing in maintaining the law and order”.
He recalled that President Pervez Musharraf had given a three- year roadmap during which he fulfilled many of his promises, including the holding of elections. “And let us now sit together and carve out our roadmap to serve our people,” the prime minister said.
Nonetheless, Mr Jamali said that no change would take place overnight and that it would take some time to achieve the desired results. “Change of government is easy but change of policy is a challenge for which we all have to work together by rising above our personal interests,” he said.
Talking about the foreign policy, the premier said his government wanted to maintain cordial relations with all the countries. He regretted that due to India’s unfixable attitude, the issue of Kashmir could not be resolved yet, which, he added, was must for improving relations between the two countries.
“We have friendship with China but it does not mean that we have any enmity with the United States,” Mr Jamali argued.
Relations with Iran, he pointed out, were improving after what he termed the successful visit of President Seyed Mohammad Khatami.
“As far as Afghanistan is concerned all efforts are being made to have extremely friendly relations with the Karzai government,” he said.
“My vision is that Pakistan comes first and every thing else comes next, he said, adding that his thinking was in accord with the thinking of the Quaid-i-Azam.
