ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Gilani replying to a question said since the present government is entering its fifth year of rule and was preparing to present its fifth budget in June 2012, so talking about early elections is a “joke.”
“How you can afford to dislodge an elected government. It would be inviting a third party,” he remarked and advised the opposition parties to follow constitution and mobilize masses for the next elections, which would be held in 2013.
Gilani said since the president has surrendered his powers of dissolving the assemblies in favour of the prime minister, why he would advise for dissolving the assemblies.
“There is a constitutional process. If they (the opposition parties) do not like me they can bring a no-confidence motion against me in the assembly”, he remarked and added, similarly the Constitution also provides a process of impeachment of the president.
To another question, the prime minister said due to dictatorial interferences there have not been frequent elections in Pakistan, adding, frequent elections are 'a filter' in politics, through which good people come to power and the bad people are rejected by the masses.
In response to a question about PML-N's intentions to hold rallies in front of the Parliament and the Presidency after Muharram, the prime minister said, when all of their options will exhaust, he would talk to them and tell them that “the only way forward is democracy”.
About Pak-US relations and contacts vis-a-vis Afghan solution, Prime Minister Gilani said despite the political opponents' accusations of selling the country and strains in Pak-US relations, the present government took courageous stand on various issues including the Raymond Davis incident, Haqqani network and Pakistan's sovereignty, and continued its contacts with the US through diplomatic channels with responsibility.
He said Pakistan shared its concerns with the US, informed it about the resolution adopted by All Parties Conference and told it that Pakistan is not a part of the problem, but solution in Afghanistan.
The prime minister said Pakistan supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in Afghanistan and was ready to support any effort for peace, “provided we are in the decision making and we should be part of it.”
In response to another question, Gilani said, Pakistan desires good relations with all its neighbours and regional countries including Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and the Central Asian Republics, but these should be on the basis of equality and honour.
The Prime Minister recalled that after the Mumbai incident his meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led to the restoration of dialogue process between Pakistan and India. He said, “We want to discuss all issues with India including the core Kashmir dispute.”
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