BAHAWALPUR, Jan 29: Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali has defended the debriefing of nuclear scientists and said the government, which was fully empowered to do so, will welcome discussion on it in parliament. In response to a question during his brief meeting with the local mediamen at the Bahawalpur Circuit House before his departure for Islamabad on Thursday.

He iterated the government had the authority to check any body's activities, saying "We know better what to do or what not to." He quoted a news item published in newspapers the other day that a German couple was hanged for passing on such secrets to Russia in 1950.

He, however, said if any parliamentarian wanted to bring the debriefing issue to parliament, the government would welcome it. Mr Jamali disclosed that for the first time the government had repaid its loan of Rs1.17 billion before time and the government will also float next week Euro bonds worth $700 million in the country.

Talking about the political scenario, the prime minister said now the government had successfully overcome the constitutional crisis in respect of the LFO. After which, he added, now a political system has been put on truck and the situation demand that the political process should be allowed to continue and run in the country.

Replying to a question about the resumption of dialogue with India, the prime minister said that we would proceed further step by step and eventually all problems with India would be solved in future.

He reiterated his government's objectives of a free press and said that mediamen were free to write 'anti-government stories but not anti-state news'. He gave a cheque of Rs500,000 for the construction of the Bahawalpur Press Club. He said positive criticism would always be welcomed.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali presided over the golden jubilee founder's day function of the Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur, and gave away prizes, medals and trophies to students.

Addressing the gathering, the prime minister paid tribute to the late Amir of Bahawalpur, Sir Sadiq Muhammad Kahn Abbasi, and his family for establishing the Sadiq Public School in 1954, and said the vision of one person had created a history.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, who is also president of school's board of governors, said that Sadiq Public School was a gift of the Abbasi family to the people of Bahawalpur. He said that the Sadiq Public School had taken a lead by holding classes for girl students here and this had received a tremendous response from the people. He said now a Sadiq Public College for Girls would be opened here. Earlier, Sadiq Public School Principal Prof Muhammad Asif Malik presented address of welcome.