Elections will be held on time; says President Asif Ali Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari quelled rumors of a delay in the next elections, saying that Pakistan will soon achieve a peaceful democratic transition.

Addressing the inauguration of the 6^th Conference of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Speakers and Parliamentarians, the president said the democratically-elected government was nearing the completion of its constitutional term.

He noted, “Soon we will achieve a peaceful democratic transition. We are well on our way to realizing democracy’s dividends. For the first time an elected president surrendered his powers to parliament.”

He said the incumbent government took some bold decisions to empower parliament. Some people might feel that parliament was still under assault from some quarters but these were the teething troubles of a genuine democratic transition, he added.

Addressing the speakers and parliamentarians from Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, President Zardari said democracy was a prerequisite for economic development, political stability and overall peace and security.

He called upon the SAARC lawmakers to play a proactive role in forging better bilateral relations and addressing inter-state issues to ensure peace, progress and prosperity in the region.

Zardari said the South Asian region should adopt a collective approach to common challenges and explore opportunities for the benefit of its people. He assured that Pakistan was committed to the SAARC Charter and believed that durable peace in the   region was in the interest of all.

President Zardari also sought support of SAARC member states against illegal drug trafficking and in the fight against terrorism and militancy.

“No country has suffered from it [terrorism and militancy] as much as Pakistan. We have lost over 40,000 lives and Rs80billion worth economy besides lost opportunities,” he said.

Heroin, the president added, was developed by the international community as a war weapon against the rival ideology in the region. “That weapon of war has still not been dismantled. Together we must dismantle this war weapon.”

After declaring the conference open, he asked the participants to particularly focus food security issues besides discussing regional socio-political and economic integration.

He recalled his recent meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, one on the sidelines of the 16^th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at Tehran and in New Delhi during his visit to Ajmer Sharif.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Nov 5 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.