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| 29 May 2004 | Saturday | 09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 |
Uniform issue is settled: Jamali
ISLAMABAD, May 28: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has rejected reports suggesting that the issue of President General Pervez Musharraf's uniform had become controversial. "Everything is clear in this regard," he asserted emphatically.
"I don't know why are you making a controversy out of it?" the prime minister said, replying to various questions at a press conference at the Chaklala airbase after returning from a six-day official visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday.
In response to a question as to why the office-bearers of the unified Pakistan Muslim League and the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly were appointed in his absence, Mr Jamali said all the appointments had been made in consultation with him.
He said during his stay in Saudi Arabia, he had remained in touch with PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and was fully aware of the developments. He said most of the things had been settled even before his departure. He said the leader of the opposition had also been appointed with his consultation.
The prime minister denied any differences with former secretary-general of the party, Salim Saifullah Khan. "I had myself appointed Saifullah as the secretary-general and, therefore, there can be no differences," he added.
When asked why Balochistan and the NWFP provinces had not been given representation in the PML office-bearers, Mr Jamali said: "As far as Balochistan is concerned, I am sitting before you (as a prime minister)."
However, he said, he would talk to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in a day or two to discuss the matter of the NWFP. At that point, the prime minister was informed by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed about the appointment of Gohar Ayub Khan and Nisar Mohammad Khan as senior vice-presidents of the party. On hearing this news, Mr Jamali said, "OK, it's good."
Replying to a question regarding a possible delay in the presentation of the federal budget for the year 2004-05, Mr Jamali said the matter would be discussed in the cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on June 2.
To a specific question that whether he took up the issue of Shahbaz Sharif with the Saudi authorities and did he get any kind of assurance from them that no member of the Sharif family would try to come to Pakistan, Mr Jamali said: "When two heads of governments sit together, they discuss each and every issue."
About reports that Islamabad was considering imposing governor's rule in Sindh, the prime minister said that when he had left the country everything was all right. About the performance of his government, he said it was good, if not very good.
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