ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday presented a report on his three-year performance as head of the government, but admitted that certain weaknesses and challenges, including the militancy in the NWFP and adjoining tribal areas, remained.
Addressing a news conference, he stressed the need for national political reconciliation and defended the recent arrests which he claimed were necessary to maintain law and order in view of the threatening statements of certain politicians who called for laying siege to the Election Commission and holding demonstrations outside the Supreme Court.
The performance report, which is reported to have been presented to the president, has been released at this time, apparently in view of the fact that Mr Aziz is aspiring to be the party’s prime ministerial candidate again.
Mr Aziz regretted the reported police mishandling of PML (N) acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and MMA leader Hafiz Hussain while they were being taken to Adiala Jail and promised to hold an inquiry.
Explaining the salient features of his governance, he said his government had initiated far-reaching reforms in almost all spheres of national life.
An official press release said: “Since assuming the responsibility of governance a number of initiatives were taken both at the highest as well as the grassroots level.”
The prime minister said the Senate had passed 29 and National Assembly 40 bills in these three years, which was a record legislation for any parliament.
The computerised electoral rolls and the use of transparent ballot boxes for the coming general elections and a number of other measures adopted by the Election Commission to ensure transparency of the polls, were also mentioned as performance of the government. A notable achievement of the government duly recognised both at the national and international level was the economic growth achieved during the last seven years.
