LAHORE, Jan 17: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said that the address of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to the joint session of parliament is 'the echo of the heart of every patriotic citizen'.

He said the address had proved beyond doubt that the national strength and external defence of Pakistan was in strong hands and the patriotic leadership was committed to ensuring protection of larger interests of the country.

In an official handout issued here on Friday, the chief minister said the address was reflective of the fact that the president wanted Pakistan to be an enlightened and prosperous country reflecting true dreams of our founding fathers Allama Iqbal and the Quaid-i-Azam. He said the president had rightly identified the challenges being faced by the country at national and international levels and presented a practicable course of action to meet these dangers.

He said it was our collective duty to think about the questions which the president had pointed out during his address regarding democracy and delay in its progress in Pakistan. He said that the president had achieved the unique distinction of being the first army ruler in the history of the country who had fulfilled all his promises made regarding revival of democracy in the country.

The chief minister said that the ARD should have paid glowing tributes to Gen Pervez Musharraf for fulfilling all his promises, however, it was indeed regrettable that the so-called champions of democracy had displayed their anti-democratic attitude during the address of the president. He said that by adopting the negative attitude, the ARD had lost all its credibility among the people of Pakistan.

address lauded: People belonging to different professions have hailed President Gen Pervez Musharraf's address to the joint session of parliament by describing it as encouraging.

"The president has thwarted evil designs of political forces, which wanted to spoil the system by not allowing him to address the joint session of parliament," they said after the address on Saturday.

Zahid Husain Rana, a noted social worker and trader at the Anarkali, said the president had won the hearts of people and reminded that extremists had no place in the country.

Sajid Khan, a trader of the Hospital Road market, expressed pleasure over the president's address, and said: "Musharraf has foiled the evil designs of forces unfriendly to the country."

A social worker of Garden Town, Imran Ahmad, said his speech was the voice of the nation against extremism. The president, he said, enjoyed an overwhelming support of the nation and he should continue dealing terrorists with an iron fist.-APP