PESHAWAR: Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party central leader Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday demanded electoral reforms and urged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to play a role for it.

Gilani told reporters at the house of PPP provincial general secretary Engineer Humayun Khan here that the PTI should end the boycott of assemblies and raise voice for the resolution of problems in assemblies.

Referring to the PTI’s demand for re-election, he said there was no use of fresh polls without electoral reforms as complaints of rigging would emerge again after next elections.

The former prime minister said his was the largest political party in the country as it had roots in the country, including all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said the PPP could change the current political dispensation but it won’t do it as it believed in democracy.

Accompanied by PPP provincial president Khanzada Khan, Punjab PPP president Manzoor Watto and provincial general secretary Humayun Khan, Gilani said the federal government should give a policy statement in parliament on the US-India defence agreements.

“During the PPP government, I had complained to the US administration about its civil nuclear agreements with Indian government and urged it to do similar agreements with Pakistan as it is the frontline state in the war against terrorism,” he said.

Urges PTI to play role for it

The former prime minister condemned the Army Public School massacre and declared it the worst attack on innocent students.

He said the all parties conference had given a mandate to the federal government to take decisive action against terrorists in order to eradicate them once and for all.

Gilani appreciated the role of security forces against terrorism and said security personnel had rendered great sacrifices for the country like people from other walks of life.

He stressed the need for harmony among political parties and said it could help ensure sustainable peace and development in the country. The former prime minister said there were no differences between PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Zardari.

“Those spreading such a baseless propaganda will not succeed in weakening the PPP,” he said.

Earlier, Gilani visited the house of former PPP provincial president Anwar Saifullah Khan to condole the death of his mother, Begum Kulsum Saifullah. He offered fateha for the departed soul.

Published in Dawn January 29th, 2015

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