Jamali willing to visit India: Accord on LFO seen before Eid
By Rafaqat Ali
ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Friday said he had always discouraged extensions, deputations and contracts, hastily adding that he was only referring to civilians.
The prime minister, who was talking to journalists at an Iftar-dinner at the Prime Minister’s House, was asked if the new Wapda chairman would be a military man or a civilian.
Expressing the need for peace with India, Prime Minister Jamali said that he himself was ready to go to India if Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee showed willingness to hold a dialogue.
The prime minister, while referring to the issue of the appointment of new Wapda chief, said: “He (the new Wapda chairman) will be a Pakistani,” remarking that nobody wanted to retire.
Mr Jamali insisted that he was not “a powerless prime minister” as he enjoyed all the powers allowed to him under the Constitution.
The prime minister hinted at “some positive developments” before Eid on the matter of an agreement with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on the LFO.
Dispelling the impression about a rift in the ruling coalition, the prime minister dismissed rumours suggesting that the Millat Party chief had developed differences with the government. He said that he had met the party’s chief Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari on a number of occasions in the last three days.
The prime minister, while agreeing that the level of political stability in the country was still far from ideal, blamed both the politicians and the press for “this sorry state of affairs.”
He said he, too, had read news reports about the re-emergence of Jaish-i-Mohammad, and had called for a report from the interior ministry.
The prime minister said that the cabinet would be expanded after Eid.
Prime Minister Jamali said the government had been able to change the country’s political culture, adding that tolerance, and flexibility were the government’s hallmarks.
Asked to comment on the arrest of the president of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, he said after taking the oath, responsibilities of the elected representatives increased and they had to work within Parliament’s parameters.
The prime minister said he had not talked with Mian Nawaz Sharif or Ms Benazir Bhutto after becoming the prime minister, but had met the heads of their respective parties in Pakistan. If they (the opposition) did not want to respond positively, he could do nothing about it.
He regretted that certain politicians sent letters to international donor agencies, urging them to stop giving aid to Pakistan.
The prime minister said the government was doing its utmost to improve the law and order situation and he described the current situation as being satisfactory. But he said that there was always room for improvement. He said the government would take all necessary steps to create a conducive atmosphere to attract more investment.
The prime minister said Pakistan was “not very keen” about the Commonwealth membership, adding that the LFO issue was Pakistan’s internal matter and no “outsider” had any right to “poke his nose in our domestic disputes.”
He said parliament would be strengthened if the opposition started playing its due role, instead of wasting its energies on disrupting the proceedings.
Talking about the Saarc, he said the region could prosper if all its members adopted a positive attitude. He said Pakistan would adopt a constructive approach at the fourth SAARC Summit to be held in Islamabad in January.
The Prime Minister said the government sought to improve the situation in tribal areas, adding that the “no-go” areas were being opened up with the cooperation of the local people and development activities were being expedited there.
When his attention was drawn towards the recent increase in salaries of members of the National Assembly and asked as to what relief the government intended to give to the country’s poor, he said salaries had been raised after “a long time, adding: “Nobody objects to the annual raise in the government servants’ salaries.”
Prime Minister Jamali expressed his willingness to go to India when he was asked if he wished a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Geneva where the two leaders have been invited to attend the World Summit on Information Society in December. This will be the first opportunity for the two leaders to meet in a neutral territory, Qudssia Akhlaque adds.
Asked if it would be a handshake or an embrace with Prime Minister Vajpayee, Mr Jamali said: “If Vajpayee Saheb agrees to a dialogue, I am also prepared to go there (India) myself. My sincere wish is that we do something for Pakistan, they do something for India and we do something for the Kashmiris,” referring to the need for resolving the core dispute of Kashmir.
Earlier, the prime minister said it was not confirmed yet if the Indian prime minister would attend the Geneva Summit.
Referring to the changed global scenario, prime minister Jamali said terrorism and extremism had somewhat eclipsed the development agenda and changed the budgeting priorities.
On the question of sending troops to Iraq the Prime Minister said: “My position from day one has been that I will take the Parliament and the nation into confidence on this matter.”
The prime minister said the government would soon be announcing a relief in power tariff, adding that the reduction would be up to three paisas per unit.
On the question of the non-implementation of the seventh wage board, the Prime minister said he would give the PFUJ a hearing on that issue soon.
