July 31, 2006	Monday	Rajab 4, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 30: Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal has observed that the existing assemblies can re-elect the president for another five-year term.

“My party will fully support president’s re-election as it is imperative for the continuation of the policies which have strengthened national economy and improved Pakistan’s image among the comity of nations”, Rao Sikandar Iqbal who also heads Pakistan Peoples Party (Patriot) told a group of newsmen here on Sunday.

Answering a question, he rejected the opposition’s allegations of country’s nuclear assets being under the control of United States and said: “The nuclear programme of Pakistan is in safe hands.”

He said the defence and security of the country was top priority of the government and it was alive to its responsibilities in this respect.

He said the opposition would never succeed in their plan to launch anti-government campaign. He pointed out that the people had rejected similar calls in the past.

The minister said sane people of the country could not be hoodwinked by the hollow slogans of the opposition as they were the best judges and knew about the remarkable achievements made by it in terms of socio-economic development of the country.

Rao Sikandar Iqbal said the present government represented true aspirations of the people and there was no justification for the opposition to launch an agitation campaign at a time when the democratic institutions in the country were smoothly functioning and Pakistan’s economy which was in a shambles few years ago was back on track.

He asked the opposition to shun confrontational politics and play their role for promoting and strengthening democratic values in the country.

He stressed that the country was facing a number of challenges and the current geo-political situation demanded complete national unity. He regretted that the opposition, instead of joining hands with the government on the issues of national importance, had embarked on a plan to create chaos and confusion in the country.

The defence minister said the government deserved appreciation for making significant economic achievements and curbing the menace of extremism and terrorism.