Headway on formation of Seraiki province soon: PM Gilani

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the issue of Seraiki province was being considered by the Manifesto Committee of the PPP and an headway was expected very soon. He was talking to the reporters after addressing a public meeting at Jalalpur Pirwala, an underdeveloped Tehsil of Multan district and over 100 kilometres from here. The Prime Minister inaugurated Rs 1616 million Musa Pak Shaheed bridge and performed ground-breaking of a water supply scheme and the campus of Virtual University in the town - where distance education was imparted to the students.The Prime Minister said that he had made announcement to include Seraiki province in election manifesto of the party during his last visit to Jalalpur Pirwala.

He said that President Asif Ali Zardari, after consulting him, had formed a Manifesto Committee which was considering the matter. Other parties were also in favour of the Seraiki province, he added.

When asked about Mian Nawaz Sharif’s demand regarding establishment of a commission to probe terrorists’s attack on naval Mehran base last month, the Premier said the government realized the significance of the issue and had done what needed to be done.
He, however, made it clear that there would be no compromise on the national security issues.
When asked whether the attitude of PML-N reflected its sincerity and commitment to the politics of reconciliation, Gilani responded  by saying that every positive initiative to support the politics of reconciliation was taken by PPP alone.
About opposition’s hue and cry over external loans during budget session of the National Assembly on Friday,the premier said it always exercised its right to criticise the government.
He said that government increased salaries of employees by 15 per cent despite financiall difficulties. Gilani said he believed that government should have been commended instead of being criticised.
Gilani said the national economy was facing a huge financial burden due to global recession,fight against militancy, energy crisis and flash floods of the last year. However,he expressed the determination that the nation would overcome theses challenges.
In response to a Parliament’s resolution on drone attacks by the US, the Prime Minister said the government was not weak and it had been raising the issue at all the fora. It was trying to  convince the US to stop these attacks, he added. APP