January 04, 2009	Sunday	Muharram 06, 1430

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the country could not afford mid-term elections and stressed the need for joint efforts by all political parties to overcome national challenges.

Talking to journalists after visiting the ministry of population, the prime minister dismissed suggestions that the Leader of the Opposition had called for mid-term elections.

He said Jamaat-i-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad, by participating in the by-election in Buner, had proved that there was “complete democracy” in the country.

In reply to a question whether the government was inclined towards the PML-N or the PML-Q, Mr Gilani said he wanted to carry everybody along for the stability of the government.

He recalled that he enjoyed the support of parliament as it had elected him unanimously.

When asked about President Asif Ali Zardari’s convening of the Friday meeting on loadshedding, the prime minister said it did not matter whosoever called the meeting as implementation was done by the prime minister.

Earlier, presiding over a meeting at the Population House, the prime minister stressed the need for an integrated approach to arrest rapid growth of population by replicating the best practices of Muslims as well as regional countries for expeditious achievement of the National Population Policy Goal.—APP