Former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday the parliament, representing 180 million people, should act strong.
He said an ineffective parliament would result in a political vacuum. He said in such a case, some people would again talk about a “third umpire.”
He urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to strengthen democratic institutions through good governance.
He said the government should have a long-term vision for Pakistan and steps should be taken to ensure that their policies were not reversed with the arrival of a new government. He said inconsistent policies had damaged the country.
Talking to journalists at Multan airport, he said making a decision on mid-term elections was up to the parliament. He said some of the protesting parties had spread false rumours about mid-term elections. He said it was the prerogative of the prime minister to announce mid-term elections and he could not do so without the support of the parliament. Gilani said PPP’s public meeting in Karachi on Saturday was one of the biggest public gatherings in the country’s history. He said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be given a free hand to reorganise the party as he sees fit.
He said the PPP had the old guard which had worked with Benazir Bhutto as well as a new team which had a fresh vision for the party.
Commenting on by-elections in NA-149, he said the PPP had had no time to campaign for its candidate.
He said the party was initially backing Malik Amir Dogar and had been campaigning for him. He said when Dogar suddenly announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate, the party lost a lot of time selecting a new candidate and campaigning for him. He said it would be wrong to suggest that there were disgruntled elements in the party or that some PPP workers were unhappy with the leadership.
He said the party would hold intra-party elections to promote the youth. He said the leadership would also consult party workers for their ideas. He said the PPP would also work on a new party programme.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2014.
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Make the parliament stronger for whom? For himself, the PM, the other Parliamentarians whose only concern is making money??? No, thanks, Mr Gilani. We have not forgotten many things, one of them being the diamond studded VERY expensive bags that were gifted by your wife to her cronies at OUR expense! All of you don't seem to see the writing on the wall. Your days in the Parliament will not last long
The only way to make Parliment stronger is not by numbers but by getting rid of immoral, corrupt and self seekers and their seems to be lots of them lately, including you.
Yousaf Raza why did you not do it when you were Prime Minister?Every fool takes others as fools.