LAHORE, Nov 26: The Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, on Tuesday hinted at the possibility of modifying the local government system introduced by the military regime in August 2001, to “accommodate and involve members of the national and provincial assemblies (in the development of their constituencies)”.

Speaking to journalists at an Iftar hosted by him on his first visit to the city after becoming minister, he said, the government wished to devise some kind of “formula” to also involve assembly members in the development works because they were hoping to get “discretionary funds” for the same.

He pointed out that the JUI-F chief and MMA leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had already rejected the system.

“The objective conditions in Pakistan are different from those in other countries. Here the MNAs and MPAs have to appease their voters and take part in their activities. Hence, they need to be play some role in the development projects (in their constituencies),” he told a questioner.

He was hopeful the “government would be able to complete its five-year tenure. In the past, we saw governments with heavy mandates crumble. This government has a ‘light’ mandate and I am hopeful that it will last its term,” he replied to a query.

He said the “PML-Q would not repeat the mistakes of past governments and would work in harmony with the president”.

To a question, he said: “My boss is Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali”. To a supplementary query that the president might be the boss of the prime minister, he said: “that might be so”.

In reply to a question about the controversial Legal Framework Order, the minister claimed: “The dispute regarding the LFO was near settlement when the MMA withdrew from talks with the PML-Q before the prime minister’s election. I believe that the MMA has missed an excellent opportunity. Whatever (ministries) had been offered to the People’s Party Parliamentarian (Patriots) were offered to the MMA for their cooperation with us in the formation of government,” he said, adding the “issue of the LFO was now in the assembly”.

-2-# Š However, he added, the MMA would act responsibly and the PML-Q would be able to solve differences with it.

He also promised to review the press laws enacted through four ordinances by the military regime during the last few months. “We have just taken over and are well aware of the public’s reservations on the defamation law. We’ll soon have a meeting of the stakeholders on the issue.”

He assured that the government would respect “freedom of the press and expression. I’ve told the president and prime minister that it is not possible to force the press to tell lies.”

However, he hoped, that the media would also work responsibly.