Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Package

rime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's historic and unanimous vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Saturday gave the new democratic order a huge boost, sending all the right messages to the relevant quarters that the political parties of the country are now grown up and mature enough to run the affairs of the state without interference and uncalled for bullying by the establishment. Mr Gilani became one of the few politicians of Pakistan who have ever received such an across-the-board support of the political spectrum. Conversely he also has now the added burden to take everybody along on this new democratic path so that the institution of parliament entrenches itself strongly and deeply in the national polity. Aptly and confidently, the new prime minister went about accomplishing this onerous task immediately after the vote. His address to the assembly, and the nation, was a classic example of signalling a fundamental shift in some key policies, some cosmetic announcements to please the galleries, some hardcore assurances that basic bread and butter issues would be seriously addressed and a mass prayer to God that all this could be achieved in the shortest possible time.

Some key announcements included lifting of the ban on student and trade unions (a much delayed and a welcome step), a promise to increase the minimum wage to Rs6,000 per month, abolition of the dreaded and discarded Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in FATA (another positive step that should have been taken years ago), abolishing the controversial National Accountability Bureau and transferring its cases to the judiciary, assuring provincial autonomy to the provinces and abolishing the concurrent list within one year, raising the support price of wheat substantially to help the farmer and a two-week deadline to the armed forces of Pakistan to pull out all their officers from civilian jobs. All these decisions would have a far-reaching impact on national politics and, if implemented, could turn parliament into a sovereign body, as everyone so desperately wishes.

The cosmetic part of the prime minister's package included an impossible-to-implement directive that ministers drive only 1600 cc cars, a 40 per cent cut in expenses of the prime minister's house, a promise to save 500 MW of electricity by distributing energy-saving bulbs, ordering his cabinet to travel only economy-plus when flying, assuring each household at least one job to an adult, and introduction of housing scheme for both rural and urban areas. Many of these moves may become controversial and invite charges of favouritism and corruption but this probably is a price every party has to pay to meet the enormous expectations of the people.

Though the prime minister described restoration of peace and security as his priority number one. His offer to talk to all those who surrender their arms, particularly in the terrorism-infected tribal areas and adjoining urban centres, will not make much headway as any condition attached to peace talks will be seen as a sign of arm-twisting and throwing a challenge to the already enraged and desperate extremists. This issue will have to be tackled more sensibly and with a finesse which was lacking in the military regime of President Pervez Musharraf. A quick de-linking of Islamabad's terrorism policy with the demands of the US military and political players in these areas could be a major confidence-building measures. More such CBMs would be needed to bring the insurgents and fighters down from the hills. Likewise a vague mention of a 'truth and reconciliation commission' for Balochistan will not in the short-term defuse the situation unless practical and tangible confidence-building measures are taken to assuage the angry Baloch.

No one expects these complex issues to be resolved in the first 100 days of the PPP-led coalition government, though it now has the full confidence of the entire house. Probably by design and as a strategy, the prime minister did not go deep into the highly controversial and sensitive issues of restoration of the judges, the independence of the judiciary or the fate of President Pervez Musharraf. He reaffirmed his commitment to the Bhurban Declaration which gave a 30-day deadline for the restoration of the judges but left the matter at that. Likewise on the issue of a free press, the prime minister seemed dithering because, as promised by the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari a few weeks ago that the PEMRA ordinance will be withdrawn as the first step of his government, Mr Gilani announcement of handing over PEMRA back to the information ministry seemed like old news. A bold and clear stand on media freedoms would have been in order but it did not come. The immediate reaction in the press gallery was not very positive. No one expects that a political government which came after a robust and sustained movement led by the media would dilly-dally on the issue. The sooner this perception is cleared, the better.

What are your opinion about this package. Is this implementable?

_________________
Salam Pakistan,

Pak People
Love Pakistan, Love PTV, Love Lollywood, Love Paki dramas, films, radio, music and songs, Love Pakistani Products

dear sister,
i think all the things cant be resolved in 100 days. some of the promises seems just to calm down the ppl. some of these cant be handled in the period. like FCR, it needs lot of legislation. PM ordered that NAB will be also out of function but he totally ignored in telling us any way to tackle the corruption. where ppl will go with proofsof corruption.
wht we have seen so far, evenone comes wiht his own version of anti-corruption starting from nawaz shareef's Ihtisaab Beaurue in 90's.
if u remember Hasba Bill, it was denied coz it was said that already we have system for Law& Order so no need of new systm.
why dont they do with the anti-corruption deptt. we already have FIA and that is involved in this matter since very long.

if we see another version of anti-corruption and no govt. person is brought to proove himself clean, we should think it is again an anti-opposition authority.
still we r in initial phase of govt. i think we have to see for few weeks then we can say anything. media still has to bombard on govt and govt has to react.
like the latest appointments by the PM as advisors is under critisism.

let us wait and see

everything is fake

kuch bhi change nahi hoga

_________________

sorry i forgot to mention one important thing.
the Pm announced that the minimum wages of a labour will b Rs6000/mo.

can anyone tell how much a day he is already getting now. he is already getting around Rs200/day. with weekday counted off, you have 26 days a month. so he is already getting Rs5200/mo.

this is really ridiculous.
wht Hatim Tai will be thinking in his mind now? Laughing or weeping.

	Riya wrote:
	everything is fake kuch bhi change nahi hoga

I think we should be hopefull...

_________________
Respect All
Long Live Pakistan
In the end All praises are due to Lord

well in my opionion everybody should pray for pakistan.we should understand that primeminister seat is not full of .roses many challenges we rare facing right now.we al have to act together to save country. thanks

Well I think the goals are hard to achieve and indeed some appointments are contrversial but please keep in mind that worse type of democracy is far better then a military dictatorship. We should give some time to the new government and biggest challenge is to restore judges.

@Murid
dear in reality democracy is better that dictatorship.
but wht is democracy in true meaning? is this like the 2 main parties of pakistan where u cant speak against the leadership even within the party. i am not saying to make block but to express so that leadership can make better decisions. our so-called democratic parties supported whatever lawyers r doing but u knopw there has been different opinions even within the lawyers.
but wht happened when some of lawyers disagreed to the so-called movement of justice. lawyers like khalid ranjha was victimised and none from the "democratic parties" discouraged it. is this democracy?
when mian sahab is keeping all good positions with him and his family like CM of punjab, is this democracy. is there no suitable coandidate from the whole punjab assembly now that shahbaaz will be elected and made CM.
wht is different between shoukat aziz and shahbaz now.
then these very ppl critisized musharraf to do like this but now wht they r doing.
also it is universal truth: A man is known by his company". if u make corrupt ppl ur advisors then how can u claims that u will work for anti-corruption tomorrow.

dear my opinion is instead of believing in news in the media these just read columns from all of the leading newspapers. all r online u can read them all. then u will come to know wht is goin on.

Well Mr Tufail I am quite surprised at your comments. I am not at all a fellow of PPP or PML N but its a reality that nation has given a verdict in recent elections against PCO judges and the kings party. As far as media and majority of news paper articles are concerned they are in favor of the lawyers movement. Its time to draw a boundary now. No more military interventions and whatever are the wrong doings of political parties let them be filtered by constant elections. Let us support people like Aitizaz Ahsan, Munir Malik and Justice Retd Tariq rather then people like Sharifuddin Peerzada and Malik Qayyum the advocates of law of necessity

Last edited by Murid on Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

good package

Any One !!!

Can anyone tell me what was the AGENDA or what were the poilicies of all these political parties
Any thing represented in front of a common man
WHEN THEY WERE ASKING FOR VOTES ?????

NOTHING

what is wrong with all of us !!!

Benazir came everyone danced

Benazir went everyone danced

Nawaz Sharif came everyone danced

Nawz Sharif went everyone danced

Musharaf came everyone danced

Musharaf's party loses everyone danced

Just cant get the idea
what do we want
when we will be happy
when everyhting will be right in my homeland
when will we learn from our mistakes

not in near future

but I will not give up hope

maybe one day ..........some day

_________________
Proud to be PAKISTANI

@ryu,
this clearly shows that we r yet to have political mind. of course, bu no means, we should give up hope. only it will take some time that we, as a whole, will think why our leaders r playing with us. when we shall vote for issues not personalities.
u know i am pro-muslim league but i had made my mind that i can vote to PPP if they give anything to my city. it is another issue that i was not in pak to cast my vote.
still i dont see a leader who can drive the nation to right path. most of our top leaders have been liers in the recent past.
again we have started listening "the country is drowned,we have nothing to go forward.past govt. was fully corrupt.we shal give charge sheet.we shall make ihtisaab." same old slogans nothing changed the minds of these leaders.
if they believe in democracy and was very much offering govt to the leading party, why ppp bought mpa in balochastan to make govt. everyone know that pml-q had 17 mpa there. but ppp will make govt. there now as a result of lota cracy.
if they were democratic-minded, why did not they let pml-q try and see how pml-q makes govt.
in past, pml-n was using same wording and style against ppp and now they r doing against pml-q. nothing changed only the oppositon.
tomorrow again the same will happen.
@murid

dear just today's news and u will come to know wht is happening. our problem is that we think these 60 judges who r not fully clean by any way r saviours. and all b ok if they come back. we dont think the judiciary has to be strong not just ch.iftikhaar. just tell me where is that "resolution" which has to be passed? where is draft so far? if all of the parties r together why still nothing on the matter.
the fact is that the "honourable" wjihuddin who is so-called one of the leaders of restoration did not even gave pay-roll release of only 2hrs to mr.zardari when his bhateeja died and he wanted to attend funeral. this was not against anybody. this was humanity. if a judge did like this how can he be now zamzam-cleaned guy. only they r struggling for their own vested interests.

everybody says judges r sold in pakistan. has anyone taken any notice of that. u will never see a single judge sentenced by the fellow judges on corruption.
so dont just think few ppl r angels just make the JUDICIARY as institution so that no iftikhaar take once oath under PCO for his own benifit and stand against the same again for his own benifit. where r u ppl in the whole scenario. dear u r nowhere. this is simple power game and u r just tools of the game.

may ALLAH TAALAH BLESS OUE BELOVED COUNTRY

@RYU:

U CAN'T MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY AT ONE TIME... SOME STILL WON'T BE SATISFIED IF U GIVE THEM KEYS OF LAMBORGHINI, AND SOME WILL BE HAPPY WITH HAVING NO PENNY IN THEIR POCKET.

ITS ALL ABOUT DIFFERENCES, WE CAN'T CHANGE IT. Cool

RAKhan wrote:

	Riya wrote:
	everything is fake kuch bhi change nahi hoga

I think we should be hopefull...

Well one should be hopeful, but at this level words have to be well thought and should be backed by actions.... otherwise its the same sad story again and again!

Yes friend nothing change here.
Pak Public is forced to trust those political people but they are not able to solve pak people problems.
They are not sincere with us.

_________________
Live Tv is good idea.

hello

some times have to leave everything as it is and just go on with the air

Seems like a good man to me.

RAKhan wrote:

	Riya wrote:
	everything is fake kuch bhi change nahi hoga

I think we should be hopefull...

But what if same thing replay every time Question

_________________
I do believe on Ghosts.

Where is he Question

Came he from USA just to be PM Question

Why he ran away after a huge defeat in election 2008 Question

_________________
I do believe on Ghosts.

@nline wrote:

RAKhan wrote:

	Riya wrote:
	everything is fake kuch bhi change nahi hoga

I think we should be hopefull...

But what if same thing replay every time Question

yeah that's it

what should we do when we got same reply ?

_________________

never

Hopes must be good, we all should work for our country in positive way not any PM