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ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday categorically assured the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and allied parties that they would be taking part in the next elections as coalition partners and that there was no move to forge an alliance with any other party or political grouping.
This is the first time that the president, in such clear terms, has dispelled an impression about any serious negotiations for a pre-election deal with Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People’s Party.
The assurance from the president calmed anxieties of members of the ruling coalition and ended all speculations and rumours circulating for the past several weeks about a possible realignment or a deal with Ms Bhutto.
Most lawmakers were surprised when the president told them that no deal was being struck or contemplated with political forces outside the ruling coalition.
The president was talking to MNAs belonging to PML at an informal dinner hosted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the PM House.
So excited were some of the key members of the ruling party after the president’s announcement that within minutes after the meeting, they started passing on the news to anyone who mattered in the country about what they described as the president's complete support for the PML and its allies in the next general elections.
The president said that the PML and its allied parties would contest the elections from one platform and the government was not contemplating any deal or seat adjustment accord with any political party or allowing any politician currently living abroad to return to the country.
He said that the government was committed to fulfilling its pledge to hold free, fair and impartial elections and all political parties would be free to contest.
The president said that elections would be held on schedule, and expressed the hope that the PML and its allied parties would fully participate in them on the basis of what he called their impressive performance in office.
He said the PML and allies could take pride in having brought political maturity and economic stability not seen in the country for a long time.
He said the parliament was poised to complete its full term which augured well for the country and the democratic system.
He said it was a matter of great satisfaction that all essentials of democracy had taken roots in the country and they were fully reflected on daily basis in a free and flourishing national media.
ECONOMY: The president said that the economic turnaround achieved by the government was impressive, and the country had achieved economic stability and its fruits were now being passed on to the common man.
Recounting achievements made on the economic front, he said the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had doubled and the economic growth rate had been sustained at over 7 per cent over the past four years.
He said Pakistan was no more a low income country and was being counted among the middle income countries.
All economic indicators were showing positive trends, with exports and revenue registering significant growth and remittances reaching $4.3 billion from the earlier $one billion.
The country has attracted an all-time high $3.6 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) last year and it is expected to touch $4 billion in the current fiscal year.
The president said the allocation of funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had registered 400 per cent increase.
The president said he had introduced the essence of democracy in contrast to the facade of democracy that existed earlier.
He described the passage of women’s protection bill as a landmark event and said that more legislation would be introduced in parliament to further protect rights of women. He said the government was determined to remove all man-made laws and social practices that were discriminatory against women.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz appreciated the leadership provided by the president and reforms introduced by him which, he said, would be further consolidated to transfer the benefits of the economic development at the grassroots level.
