RAWALPINDI, Jan 12: Prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali on Sunday promised to provide additional funds for the development of the city.

Speaking at a public rally after inauguration of a girls school in Dhoke Kala Khan, he said, the allocation of funds would be made in a day. He said this would be in addition to Rs20 million already released for establishment of schools in the city.

The participants of the rally asked him to announce a grant of at least Rs40 million. However, he said, he would make a formal commitment in this regard after checking what could possibly be granted.

About the Rs40 million demand, he said the amount was too little, and a city like Rawalpindi deserved Rs40 billion.

About creation of employment opportunities, the prime minister said his government would do everything possible to provide employment, but after fulfilling all requirements. He said: “I can assure you one thing that jobs will be provided and not sold like it was done in the past.”

He said he was not in the habit of making promises he could not fulfil, but would do his best to mitigate the sufferings of the unemployed by evolving a plan to create more job opportunities.

Responding to the demands for regularization of daily-wage employees of Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited, he said the government would not only take up their cases, but also consider regularization of all daily-wage employees working with the government departments.

Speaking on the occasion, the federal minister for information, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said the PML-Q should be given a people-oriented outlook rather than being transformed into a bureaucratic entity.

He said the party should strengthen its roots in the masses. He urged the premier to begin efforts for uniting the Muslim League.

“You should forget factionalism in the party and become a standard-bearer of a united PML,” he said.

He said it was only because of the political sagacity and fore-sightedness of Mr Jamali that the PML-Q was not only able to form government in the federation, but also cobbled together a coalition government in a province where the party had only 15 members.

Rejecting charges of disloyalty towards his former party, Mr Ahmed said: “We are loyal people and remained with them (PML-N) till they abandoned us. We braved difficulties for three years for remaining loyal to the PML-N.”

Reiterating his loyalties towards the PML-Q, he said: “Mr prime minister now that we are with you we would live and die with you.”

Requesting for more funds for development, Mr Ahmed said whatsoever had been granted by the government was spent on setting up of a girls school in the city’s poorest locality, Dhoke Kala Khan.

He said the city should be given atleast Rs40 million for the repair of street pavements and sewerage system. Mentioning other problems in the city, the minister said unemployment had assumed serious dimensions.

He said its unfortunate that whenever “we come into the government, a ban is imposed on recruitment of poor people”, whereas others remain at liberty to hire expensive consultants.

About relations with the US, Mr Ahmed said it was time the government should decide to what extent “are we their allies and the American government realize our limitations”.

He asked Mr Jamali to forcefully take up the case of INS registration with the US government as people here were lot concerned about their relatives living there. He said there should be no compromise on national respect, freedom and religious matters in ties with the US.

The federal minister asked the government to respond to India in the same tone in which it was threatening Pakistan.

Criticizing Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), he said its leaders spoke about Islam to capture Islamabad.

HE SAID: “We consider them ineligible for Islamabad, however, would be on their side as far as the cause of religion was concerned.”