PM vows to defeat anti-government conspiracies

Dust storm, unruly youth wreak havoc on convention.

MARDAN:

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday claimed that conspiracies were being hatched against his government, but vowed that the conspirators would not succeed.

The premier told a public gathering in Mardan that certain elements had started anti-government campaigns after the incumbent administration took over in 2008. He, however, said his party had foiled these designs with the help of public support.

Pledging unconditional support for democracy, Gilani said “no one will be allowed to derail democracy as long as Pakistan Peoples Party is in power,” adding that everyone should respect the country’s institutions.

Taking a jab at PML-N, he said his party was fighting for peoples’ rights when they (the PML-N leadership) was sitting in Jeddah.

He also announced that about 100,000 new posts will be created through the implementation of the 2012-13 budget and promised to reinstate all state employees who were fired during Nawaz Sharif’s and Pervez Musharraf’s rules.

Promising to visit every division in the province, Gilani said development projects worth Rs7.96billion were being carried out in Mardan and a 55-kilometre road was being constructed to connect Takht Bhai to Chakdara.

The convention, however, was not without incident. Earlier, a ruckus was witnessed as unruly members of the Pakistan Students Federation and the Peoples Youth Organisation broke the protective fences around the stage and refused to leave the venue despite repeated calls. The request was made by party members before the premier’s arrival for security reasons.

Later, a dust storm tore down banners and tents and displaced chairs. The disrupted convention was put to bed barely 25 minutes after the premier’s arrival.

Premier in Lahore

The prime minister also spoke at a graduation ceremony held for the probationary officers of the 39th Common Training Programme in Civil Services Academy Lahore on Saturday. During his address he highlighted the government’s efforts, particularly in the energy sector, the economy, as well as in Balochistan.

“So far, we have added 3,400 wegawatt of power to the national grid and initiated the Thar coal project, the 4,500MW-Diamir Basha, 4,320 MW-Dasu, 7,100 MW-Bunji, and 740 MW-Munda dams, the Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project and the Tarbela extension project. We are also pursing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Casa-1000 and the TAPI gas project as well,” the premier said.

The Thar coal project “would be the key to ensure energy security in the country for 300 years,” he added.

On Balochistan, the prime minister said that through the 7th NFC Award, the share of the province in the national divisible pool has been increased from 5.1% to 9.09%. Some 5,000 youth of Balochistan have also been recruited in the armed forces, he said.

Speaking of the PPP’s economic milestones, Gilani said that for the first time in the country’s history, the country’s foreign exchange reserves had gone up to $18 billion and exports had crossed the $25 billion mark. Under the Pakistan Remittances Initiative Scheme, remittances had registered a phenomenal growth from a mere $4 billion to $12 billion and per capita income rose from $990 to $1,152, the premier added.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2012.