Zardari extends friendship hand to Nawaz again
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has once again extended hand of friendship to PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif and invited him to nominate senior Party representatives to "jointly take difficult decisions required to take the country forward".
Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said on Sunday that the invitation has been extended in a letter addressed to the former Prime Minister in response to Mian Nawaz Sharif's letter of November 10 in which he had raised some issues and expressed his concerns.
The president had promptly acknowledged the letter and promised to send a detailed reply soon, he said and added that the formal reply was delivered to Mian Nawaz Sharif at his residence at Rai Wind (Lahore).
The president in his letter also sought cooperation of the PML-N in the GST Bill 2010 reminding him that his Party's nominee Ishaq Dar the former Finance Minister along with the senators of all major political parties had unanimously recommended the GST law with some 15 amendments.
"The Senate adopted those recommendations along with the Bill, and referred it to the National Assembly. We also hoped for your support in the National Assembly for the passage of this important reform measure," the letter said.
A copy of the letter was also sent to the prime minister. Taking note of the PML-N Quaid's concern about the Ehtesab Bill, the president recalled the history of how the proposed bill passed through successive stages of legislative process before the PML-N protested that their amendments had not been fully incorporated in it.
"In this backdrop", the president said, "The Chairperson of the Standing Committee has decided to reconsider the Bill and to deliberate upon the outstanding issues arising out of the dissenting note of the PML-N members," the president assured Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Pointing out the need for the restructuring of the public sector enterprises (PSEs) for pursuing the economic reforms agenda the President sought Nawaz Sharif support saying, "We will be grateful if your party facilitates the government in its restructuring plans for these entities, and extends support to our policy to promote public private partnership to protect Pakistan's national interests".
"I am happy to note that you support the reform of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) mentioned by the Finance Minister in his budget speech," the president said adding, "A Cabinet Committee on Restructuring of PSE's has already been formed and a comprehensive plan for restructuring of the power sector companies has been launched with the aim of bringing private sector into the management of the distribution companies".
He said that the restructuring of the power sector companies would bring a saving in excess of Rs 250 billion in the financial year 2011-12.
Outlining the plans for restructuring of the PSEs thus, "A restructuring plan of Pakistan Railways has also been approved and work initiated to convert Pakistan Railways over a period of 3-4 years into a profitable organization. Business plans are under preparation for all other loss making PSEs like Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines, Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Utility Stores Corporation, with a time frame of 4-6 months for implementation," the President asked for the cooperation of the PML-N in pursuing the economic reforms agenda through the restructuring plan.
Defending the policy of not giving indiscriminate subsidies the president said, "A subsidy can only lead to the fiscal undiscipline that Ishaq Dar referred to as Finance Minister, and will contribute to inflation indirectly by increasing the fiscal deficit".
Farhatullah Babar said that the president shared the concerns expressed by Nawaz Sharif over increase in petroleum and electricity prices and urged the former Prime Minister: "POL prices in Pakistan are linked directly to international market prices, and are free of Government interference".
President Zardari also dwelt on the genesis of the current power crisis to draw home the point the criticality of continuity in economic polices, the Spokesperson said.
The president said that in his view "the seeds of Pakistan's current energy deficit were sown by the reversal of power policy in the aftermath of the end of BB Shaheed's second term in office (in1996)".
Explaining, the president said that as a result of this policy 5653 MW were added to the national grid in a record span of three years by allowing a uniform rate of 6.5 cents per KW to the IPPs for a locked period of 20 years as compared to 18 cents per KW today.
"The failure of successive governments after the dismissal of ours to attract investment in this sector has created a supply shortage that will take time to clear.
Today, unfortunately, there is no magic wand that can be waved to restore investors' confidence and remove the deficit of 15 years, overnight". Had the democratic process been allowed to complete its natural course, Pakistan would have certainly been a beneficiary today, he said.
Farhatullah Babar said that the president did not say explicitly that some elements may have been wishing to see the politicians divided and squabbling but borrowed a quotation from German poet philosopher Goethe to warn against `divide and rule' and calling for unity.
Thanking Nawaz Sharif for his letter of Nov. 10 and saying that Pakistan's major political parties were today saddled with "a great burden of responsibility" that forced them "to work together" and "act as statesmen" the President's letter opened with Goethe's quotation, "Divide and rule, the politician cries; unite and lead is watchword of the wise".
Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said on Sunday that the invitation has been extended in a letter addressed to the former Prime Minister in response to Mian Nawaz Sharif's letter of November 10 in which he had raised some issues and expressed his concerns.
The president had promptly acknowledged the letter and promised to send a detailed reply soon, he said and added that the formal reply was delivered to Mian Nawaz Sharif at his residence at Rai Wind (Lahore).
The president in his letter also sought cooperation of the PML-N in the GST Bill 2010 reminding him that his Party's nominee Ishaq Dar the former Finance Minister along with the senators of all major political parties had unanimously recommended the GST law with some 15 amendments.
"The Senate adopted those recommendations along with the Bill, and referred it to the National Assembly. We also hoped for your support in the National Assembly for the passage of this important reform measure," the letter said.
A copy of the letter was also sent to the prime minister. Taking note of the PML-N Quaid's concern about the Ehtesab Bill, the president recalled the history of how the proposed bill passed through successive stages of legislative process before the PML-N protested that their amendments had not been fully incorporated in it.
"In this backdrop", the president said, "The Chairperson of the Standing Committee has decided to reconsider the Bill and to deliberate upon the outstanding issues arising out of the dissenting note of the PML-N members," the president assured Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Pointing out the need for the restructuring of the public sector enterprises (PSEs) for pursuing the economic reforms agenda the President sought Nawaz Sharif support saying, "We will be grateful if your party facilitates the government in its restructuring plans for these entities, and extends support to our policy to promote public private partnership to protect Pakistan's national interests".
"I am happy to note that you support the reform of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) mentioned by the Finance Minister in his budget speech," the president said adding, "A Cabinet Committee on Restructuring of PSE's has already been formed and a comprehensive plan for restructuring of the power sector companies has been launched with the aim of bringing private sector into the management of the distribution companies".
He said that the restructuring of the power sector companies would bring a saving in excess of Rs 250 billion in the financial year 2011-12.
Outlining the plans for restructuring of the PSEs thus, "A restructuring plan of Pakistan Railways has also been approved and work initiated to convert Pakistan Railways over a period of 3-4 years into a profitable organization. Business plans are under preparation for all other loss making PSEs like Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines, Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Utility Stores Corporation, with a time frame of 4-6 months for implementation," the President asked for the cooperation of the PML-N in pursuing the economic reforms agenda through the restructuring plan.
Defending the policy of not giving indiscriminate subsidies the president said, "A subsidy can only lead to the fiscal undiscipline that Ishaq Dar referred to as Finance Minister, and will contribute to inflation indirectly by increasing the fiscal deficit".
Farhatullah Babar said that the president shared the concerns expressed by Nawaz Sharif over increase in petroleum and electricity prices and urged the former Prime Minister: "POL prices in Pakistan are linked directly to international market prices, and are free of Government interference".
President Zardari also dwelt on the genesis of the current power crisis to draw home the point the criticality of continuity in economic polices, the Spokesperson said.
The president said that in his view "the seeds of Pakistan's current energy deficit were sown by the reversal of power policy in the aftermath of the end of BB Shaheed's second term in office (in1996)".
Explaining, the president said that as a result of this policy 5653 MW were added to the national grid in a record span of three years by allowing a uniform rate of 6.5 cents per KW to the IPPs for a locked period of 20 years as compared to 18 cents per KW today.
"The failure of successive governments after the dismissal of ours to attract investment in this sector has created a supply shortage that will take time to clear.
Today, unfortunately, there is no magic wand that can be waved to restore investors' confidence and remove the deficit of 15 years, overnight". Had the democratic process been allowed to complete its natural course, Pakistan would have certainly been a beneficiary today, he said.
Farhatullah Babar said that the president did not say explicitly that some elements may have been wishing to see the politicians divided and squabbling but borrowed a quotation from German poet philosopher Goethe to warn against `divide and rule' and calling for unity.
Thanking Nawaz Sharif for his letter of Nov. 10 and saying that Pakistan's major political parties were today saddled with "a great burden of responsibility" that forced them "to work together" and "act as statesmen" the President's letter opened with Goethe's quotation, "Divide and rule, the politician cries; unite and lead is watchword of the wise".
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