May 03, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1429

BADIN, May 2: Speaker Natio-nal Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza has said that after installation of a democratic government, country’s image has improved throughout the world.

At a press conference here at circuit house on Friday, Dr Mirza said that representatives of various countries, specialty Islamic world who attended the IPU conference, were fully in favour of Pakistan and offered close cooperation and offered an enhanced number of visas for workers from Pakistan.

She said that the representatives in the conference were impressed by a woman speaker of an Islamic country and believed that the woman in Pakistan had equal opportunities and rights as a model for rest of the world which earlier had a wrong notion about status of women in an Islamic society. She said the IPU’s national charter had the same vision that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had.

She said she wanted to see a strong parliament and democracy and hastened to add that without leader of opposition, the parliament was incomplete, thus first priority was given to nominate leader of opposition with a majority.

She said that there were 46 standing committees which were soul of the parliament. In the past, such committees were hardly constituted in two years but she constituted the committees to run the business of assembly. She, however, said that parliament was short of staff and experts on the subjects which were needed to each committee.

She said a complete book on the parliamentary affairs would be sent to press clubs. She said that first resolution in the assembly was brought about the media affairs and she had announced equal opportunities to all channels.

To a question, she said, the current crises were legacy of the former rulers as the country in the past was crumbling due to wrong economic policies.

About judges’ restoration, she said: “Let the majority have its way and let the minority have to say, any constitutional package or with majority consensus, let the moment come”.

About education, she said that none of the ghost schools would be allowed to run and warned the ghost teachers to vacate the posts if they do not perform, let the honest and hard working teachers to come forward. She also said the doctors must prefer their duties first and then look to their dispensaries else action would be taken against them.

About water improvement plan, she said waterways designs should be made after bringing the tail-end growers into confidence, so that water could reach to tail-enders. She also said that watercourses lining work would also benefit the growers.

To a question about railway facilities to the people of Badin, she assured that system would be restored at the earliest. Dr Fehmida also visited computer centres.

Earlier, she held a meeting with the districts officers at circuit house.