LAHORE, May 26: Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said on Friday the political crisis in Sindh would soon be resolved.

Talking to reporters after speaking at a seminar on ‘National development and role of women’, here at a local hotel, he said ups and down in relations between government’s allies was a routine matter but things in Sindh would improve soon.

The president’s basic policy was to strive for the betterment of the people and the future of all the allied forces depended on advancing this agenda. “The future of those not following this programme will itself become doubtful.”

Replying to a question on the Hudood Ordinance, he said initiation of a debate on it in the media was a good development. The government would take a decision (in this regard) while keeping in view Islamic injunctions, opinion of scholars and public sentiment.

He said the PML would win the next general elections because women and youth of the country wanted an extension of the development process started by the party’s government. They supported the government policies and this would reflective positively on the PML position in the next elections.

The minister said fair and free elections was not the demand of the opposition rather they were the requirement of the government.

He said the next federal budget would be a practical step towards prosperity of common man, poverty reduction, elimination of injustice and unemployment. The minister regretted police torture on three Lahore journalists who had gone to cover Javaid Hashmi’s visit three days ago and said those involved in the incident would be taken to task. The government had given freedom to the press and would not tolerate anyone snatching it.

Replying to a question he said a lot had been done regarding the implementation of the journalists wage award.

Speaking at the seminar earlier, he said the government had done a lot for the betterment of women and would take more steps in this direction in the next federal budget.

He regretted that institutions in the country did not prosper due to various reasons and the institution of family unit remained in tact mainly because of women who extended care, love and affection to male members of their families. The stability of this unit had saved the society from many ills, he said.

He said for the first time in the history of the country President Pervez Musharraf had given representation to women on assemblies and local bodies. “He did so not for appeasing any political party or to gain political benefits but to put the country on the road to progress.”

Federal Minister for Women Development Sumaira Malik gave credit to the president for giving ample representation to women on parliament and local governments for the first time in the history of the country. Now the government was moving towards their socio-economic and legal empowerment.

Punjab PPP information secretary Farzana Raja said Islam had given rights and respect to women much before the present government. The PPP too had been doing a lot for women. The first Benazir government had reserved seats for women in assemblies, she said.

She said the government had not done much for the betterment or empowerment of women, accusing the president of what she said defaming Pakistani women abroad.

MNA Kashmala Tariq said suggestions had been made to amend laws discriminating against women. Bills about gender justice and domestic violence had been moved in the assembly, she said regretting that they had not so far been passed.

MMA MPA from NWFP Naeema Kishwar gave details of the steps taken for the betterment of women by the alliance’s government. She urged the need for implementation of Islamic law to give due respect and honour to women. She said Islamic laws could not be changed but the man-made Hudood Ordinance could be improved.

Senators Dr Khalid Ranjha, Sardar Latif Khosa and Gulshan Saeed and chief minister’s advisors Raja Ejaz and Saba Sadiq also spoke on the occasion.