Welcoming PM, Altaf lauds president’s perseverance

Premier Ashraf visits Nine Zero, Kingri House; vows to work with MQM, PML-F.

KARACHI:

In his first official visit to Karachi, newly elected Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf struck all the right notes during an appearance at Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters Nine Zero – a worker who had risen through the ranks of his party to become prime minister who was not, as party chief Altaf Hussain said, “born with a golden spoon in his mouth”.

“I didn’t even have a brass spoon,” Premier Ashraf quipped.

The prime minister said he was overwhelmed by the support shown to him by the MQM and Altaf (who addressed the gathering via telephone) for his election and his welcome to Nine Zero. “I want to assure you,” PM Ashraf said, addressing MQM supporters amassed outside party headquarters, “that I will work to the fullest of my capabilities to resolve the problems we face.”  The prime minister said he didn’t want to focus on the past, and would work to solve the energy crisis and the law and order situation by working with the MQM.

Premier Ashraf said he understood the issues faced by the middle class and the lower middle class all too well. “I remember everything from my childhood. I know what it feels like when you need to pay school fees, to spend money on a relative’s wedding. I have gone through all of this.”

Altaf speaks

After the premier met with the MQM’s coordination committee, Altaf also addressed people outside Nine Zero. In his speech, Hussain stressed several points. “The government, judiciary and executive must work within their limits and not go beyond it,” he said.

Acknowledging President Asif Ali Zardari’s ‘patience and strength’, he said that anyone else would have given up by now and that the president had accepted the Supreme Court’s decisions, even if they were difficult.

The second point he stressed, linked to the Supreme Court, was that President Zardari had also had to accept decisions such as the dismissal of former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, the court’s disqualification of Haqqani’s wife – MNA Farahnaz Ispahani – as well as adviser Rehman Malik from parliament in a case pertaining to dual nationality holders. He also asked for the government to pass legislation on violence against women and open negotiations with Baloch leaders.

The MQM also told the prime minister of its concerns over the neglect of urban constituencies in Sindh when it came to development projects and employment generation in the public sector. It also asked the prime minister to look at holding local government elections, another long standing demand of the party.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh chapter chief Senator Shahi Syed refused to meet Prime Minister Ashraf during his visit to Karachi. The ANP spokesperson said that Syed had been called to the Governor House to meet the premier. Syed had earlier demanded that the PPP should treat ANP like they treat MQM. “If they can visit Nine Zero day and night, they should also visit Mardan House, which is a centre for Karachi’s Pashtuns,” Syed had said.

Kingri House

Prime Minister Ashraf also visited Kingri House, the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Pir Pagara. He said he had embarked upon a journey of “love for all and hate for none” and sought prayers from the spiritual leader to help achieve his goals during such a short tenure.

Talking to media after his meeting with Pir Sibghatullah Rashdi (Pir Pagara VIII) the prime minister said that all institutions should not exceed the limits of their domain, saying Parliament is the ‘mother’ of all the institutions.

Responding to a question, he said, “The policies adopted by Yousaf Raza Gilani were actually the policies of coalition partners, and the incumbent government will continue the same.”

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM NEWS DESK

Published In The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2012.