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PR.
No. 70. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has extended his warm felicitations to Mian Shahbaz Sharif, President of PML(N) on taking oath as a member of Punjab Assembly this morning.
In his message, the Prime Minister said that Mian Shahbaz
Sharif’s oath-taking as member of Punjab Assembly augers well for the
democratic forces of the country and expressed the confidence that he will
take all coalition partners along for the welfare and progress of the
province.
PR. No. 71. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that an early, just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in keeping with aspiration of the people of Kashmir will help Pakistan and India to achieve their full potential. The Prime Minister said his Government is committed to improving relations with India so as to usher in an era of peace in the region. He said that it is no coincidence that relations between the two countries always improve when a civilian government is in place in Pakistan. The Prime Minister said this while talking to Mr. Kuldip Nayar, the veteran Indian journalist, parliamentarian and diplomat, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House this morning. The Prime Minister said his government will continue to take more CBMs to further improve our ties in different fields. People to people contacts will also be increased to achieve the objects, he added. The Prime Minister said that unlike India where the transition is from democracy to democracy, in Pakistan it is from dictatorship to democracy and by that standard we were doing pretty well. The Prime Minister said that the restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its original form is the top priority of the government, for we want the Parliament to be supreme and sovereign. The constitutional balance as envisaged in the 1973 constitution will be restored, he said. He said he is confident that Pakistan will gradually shape up into a two-party system as was the case before 1998. The Prime Minister said that his Government is also committed to the independence of judiciary and reinstatement of judges, modalities for which are being worked out with the coalition partners. He said these issues will be settled before long as his party is in the forefront of movement of independent judiciary and has made many sacrifices for it Mr. Nayar thanked the Prime Minister for giving him the opportunity to meet with him. He said he was currently visiting Pakistan to attend a seminar in Lahore and meet political leaders after the formation of the civilian government in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by senior official of Ministries of Information and Foreign Affairs. DSG/AR.
PR. No. 72. In exercise of powers conferred by Section 20 (1) of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 (XXIV of 1997), the Federal Government has been pleased to appoint Mr. Justice ® Shamsuddin Hizbani as Chairperson, Environmental Protection Tribunal, Karachi on standard terms and conditions for a period of two years with effect from the date he assumes charge of the said post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, says a notification issued by Ministry of Law and Justice Division. MA/AR.
PR.
No. 73. A spokesman of the government has said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has not planned a visit to Turkey and therefore there is no question of dropping it due to the current political situation in the country as reported in a section of the media. The spokesman said that the situation in the country is normal as borne out by the fact that the Prime Minister is proceeding to Saudi Arabia tonight on a three-day visit. The spokesman requested the media not to broadcast or publish speculative stories especially those have a bearing on Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries. DSG/wh
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