MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani warned the opposition on Sunday that the elected government would not tolerate any unconstitutional step and that it should not misconstrue the policy of reconciliation as a sign of weakness.

“The opposition may bring a no-confidence move against me or an impeachment motion against the president if it has something against us,” the prime minister said while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating development projects in Phalia.

He said the PPP stood by its manifesto and the Charter of Democracy, but PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif who had signed the charter was ignoring it. He said the PPP would continue to serving the people and strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in the country.

The prime minister announced that he would launch a countrywide 'Carvan-i-Tameer' from Mandi Bahauddin and would travel from Karachi to Khyber to launch development projects.

He said the inauguration of energy projects in the area was part of the PPP's vision to provide amenities to the masses. PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had given the Constitution and the present government strengthened parliament and restored the 1973 Constitution, he said, adding that the government respected all institutions which had been restored by it.

Mr Gilani said the PPP would face all challenges with the power of the masses and not with the state machinery, adding that its critics must know that it had come to power through elections, and not from the backdoor.

He said the opposition should wait for the elections in 2013 and must not resort to unconstitutional methods, adding that the PML-N was worried about PPP's expected success in the March 2012 Senate elections.

The prime minister said the PPP had always displayed tolerance and patience despite victimisation and persecutions by its political rivals and dictators.

He said there was a thin line between accountability and revenge and the PPP did not wish to usurp the rights of anyone through revenge.

He said he had already announced in parliament that his government had forgiven the misdeeds of Pervez Musharraf. “There is no political prisoner during my tenure as prime minister despite the fact that I was kept behind bars for 10 years.”

The prime minister said the government was fighting dearness, economic challenges, terrorism and energy crisis for a better tomorrow.