April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

SHIKARPUR, April 5: The Pakistan People’s Party’s Senator Sardar Latif Khoso has said that the new government will consider handing over 47 subjects to the provinces and the coalition partners support making provinces more powerful and reducing interference from the federal government.

Mr Khoso said at a news conference at Mirani House late on Friday night that the 1973 Constitution envisaged handing over the 47 subjects to the provinces within 10 years but unfortunately it could not be done due to repeated army interventions.

PPP had decided to follow the mission left incomplete by Z.A. Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto and wanted to serve the nation. The party was making efforts to create national consensus to save Pakistan, solve national and international problems and restore democratic process in the country, he said.

He said that Mr Zardari decided to form coalition governments at federal and provincial level because the PPP believed in national consensus and avoided political victimisation.

To a question, the senator said that the parliament would solve all the national and international issues in the best interests of nation and country.

Pakistan was rich in natural resources and it was need of the hour to utilise the resources to bring about economic stability in the country and improve socio-economic condition of people, he said.

He said that the problem of terrorism would be settled through negotiations when people’s problems were solved.

Mr Khoso said that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was a national hero who helped Pakistan become an atomic power and “we should not forget his services for the country”.

He said that the government affairs would be run according to law and expressed the hope that Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani would extend cooperation to enable the present coalition government to strengthen democratic process without interference from army.

To a question about the 8th wage board, the senator said that a committee would be constituted very soon in this regard.