Joint session: President says govt’s unilateral policies ‘causing grave strain on federation’

ISLAMABAD: Addressing the joint session of parliament to formally kick off the second parliamentary year, President Asif Ali Zardari cautioned the house and the government that some of its unilateral policies are causing ‘grave strain’ on the federation.

The president highlighted the newly-conceived Cholistan Canal System approved by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) last month despite opposition from Sindh.

Zardari said that it was his constitutional duty to represent the federation as the president of Pakistan after being elected by all four provincial assemblies, the National Assembly and the Senate.

He denounced the government’s unilateral decision to carve out more canals from the Indus River System despite strong opposition from federating units.

“A proposal that I as your President cannot support,” said Zardari and urged the “government to abandon this current proposal and work together with all stakeholders to come up with viable, sustainable solutions based on unanimous consensus among the federating units”.

President Zardari delivered the speech amid strong protest by the opposition lawmakers who kept raising slogans against the incumbent government during the entire session.

He urged stakeholders to prioritise national interests and set aside personal and political differences for the sake of the country.

Let us work together to revive our economy, strengthen our democracy, and uphold the rule of law,” he said.

In his initial remarks, he expressed gratitude to address the parliament for the 8th time.

“This moment marks not only the continuation of our democratic journey but also provides us with an opportunity to review our progress and reaffirm our commitment to building a better future for Pakistan.”

He urged the house to focus on promoting good governance, and political and economic stability to meet expectations of the nationals who pinned their hopes on parliament.

He appreciated the government’s efforts for putting the country on a positive path to economic growth as foreign exchange reserves witnessed a surge.

“There was a substantial increase in Foreign Direct Investment and the stock market also surged to a historic high. The government also reduced the policy rate from 22% to 12%, and all other economic indicators have shown a healthy sign of improvement.”

Emphasising the importance of democracy, Zardari said: “Democracy needs give and take, and what better place to work on collective goals than this parliament? As elected representatives, you function as role models for the nation.”

“As you go about your parliamentary business think beyond narrow goals. Think of the unity and consensus our country so desperately needs.”

The president urged the government to encourage domestic and international investments for economic growth and job creation, foster social and economic justice, and ensure fairness and transparency in our system.