April 01, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

LAHORE, March 31: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has hailed the restoration of student and labour unions as announced by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, and said the decision bades well for the country.

He was talking to PML-N’s Labour Wing president and MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Birjees Tahir, Pakistan Workers League chief Ishtiaq Aasi and party's central spokesman Muhammad Siddiqual Farooq at his Raiwind residence here on Monday.

Nawaz said that student unions at educational institutions played the role of nurseries for future political leadership while restoration of labour unions would help end exploitation of labour classes and accelerate industrialisation progress.

He said the lifting of ban on student and labour unions was in accordance with the spirit of the PML-N manifesto.

He recalled that in his meeting with labour leaders this January, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif had announced restoration of student and labour unions under the ILO Conventions, protection to the interests of both employers and employees, legislation on forced labour, establishment of labour colonies and stipend for education of children of labourers.

He said the coalition government of the PML-N and the PPP would fulfill all these promises.

Meanwhile, federal minister Rana Tanveer Hussain has said that the PML-N's stance vis-à-vis Pervez Musharraf's position remains unchanged despite taking of oath by its ministers from the president.