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| 18 April 2004 | Sunday | 27 Safar 1425 |
NSC will work under parliament: President
LAHORE, April 17: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that the National Security Council was a consultative body which would work under parliament and help strengthen democracy in the country.
Speaking to senators and MNAs here at the Governor's House, he said the past experience showed that the absence of such a forum had led to instability.
He said the NSC would not only be a check on the president but it would also guide the government on important issues, according to an official handout.
Referring to the Pakistan-India relations, the president reiterated that there would be no compromise on Kashmir and the Line of Control would not be accepted as a permanent border.
He said Pakistan would not allow inspection of its facilities and there was no question of rolling back its nuclear programme.
He said the new police order would be implemented by October as a balance had been struck between the powers of the chief minister and the role of the Nazims.
He hoped that the issue of the NFC award would be resolved to the satisfaction of the parties involved.
Pakistan, he said, had achieved macro-economic stability and it was now "our objective to address the problem of poverty so that we can improve the lot of our masses".
He said Pakistan had the potential of playing its due role in the comity of nations and leading the Muslim world.
He expressed the confidence that by the grace of God the country would achieve the GDP growth rate of 5.8 per cent this year, reduce deficit, improve its balance-of-payments position, increase exports to over $12 billion and surpass all targets set by it, including the revenue target of Rs510 billion.
He said the recent $291 million bid for cell-phone licences was a testimony to the confidence expressed by foreign investors in the country's economy. He expected huge investments in other sectors as well and said "it is our endeavour to trickle down macro economic gains to lower levels".
Referring to a meeting he had held in Islamabad with all the chief ministers, the president said he was pleased to note that there was an extraordinary activity in the construction industry.
Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi highlighted the policies being pursued by his government. He said the passage of the NSC bill had provided strong foundations for the continuation of the democratic process.
He said the opposition leaders were taking dictation from abroad rather than acting by their own. Had it not been so they would not have opposed a national institution in which their leader had been given representation.
Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool and PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain were also present.
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