APC proves united stance of Pakistani nation on national security: PM
MULTAN, Oct 1 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said the successful holding of All Parties Conference (APC) testified the fact that Pakistani nation is united on the issue of country’s security and defence.“We will never allow anyone even to have ill-thinking about Pakistan’s security. We do not desire war and want peace in the country and beyond. Pakistan can play an important role in peace and we will do it”, Gilani told a historic gathering in ‘Bili Wala’ town, some 30 kilometers from Multan where he laid the foundation stone of Khanewal-Multan section of Multan-Faisalabad motorway.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan was ready to hold talks with everyone for peace and can go to any extent to achieve this objective, adding, “all the country’s political forces stand shoulder to shoulder for Pakistan’s security interests.”
 He, however, made it clear that Pakistan will talk on the basis of equality and mutual respect, by keeping in view the country’s national interests.Prime Minister Gilani lauded the country’s political leaders, who responded positively on his call and sat together to discuss the issue of Pakistan’s security, while keeping their political differences aside.
 Gilani said he could have summoned a Joint Sitting of Parliament on this issue but he opted to call an APC so that the political parties, that had boycotted the previous elections, could be represented in this important national moot.
 “The APC was aimed at sending a message to the world that on the issue of Pakistan’s security, the whole nation and political forces were united”, he said and added that the APC proved that the Pakistani nation was ‘one like a rock’ on the issue of country’s security and defence.
 The Prime Minister said the Muslims are not inferior to anyone. He, however, criticized those extremist elements, who were bringing bad name to Islam.
 Gilani said the country’s elders including his ancestors rendered great sacrifices to get a separate homeland and how they can compromise on national interests, adding, “my father was a signatory to Pakistan’s resolution.”Prime Minister Gilani while talking about the assassination of former Afghan President and Chairman of Afghan High Peace Council Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, said Afghan President Hamid Karzai has some misunderstanding on this issue.
 “I want to convey to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is my brother and friend, and with whom we have good relations, has some misunderstanding on the assassination of Prof. Rabbani”, he remarked.
 The Prime Minister said he himself visited Afghanistan to express condolences over the assassination of Prof. Rabbani, adding, Pakistan was ready to provide any security or intelligence assistance in this respect.
 “They cannot doubt us. Pakistanis are a self-respecting nation. Pakistan neither interferes in anyone’s affairs nor allows anyone’s interference in our affairs”, he stressed.
 The Prime Minister felicitated the nation as well as the country’s political forces that it was due to the APC meeting that the United States had sent a message that they needed Pakistan and that they could not win the war (against terrorism) without it.
 “It is due to APC as well as the unity of Pakistan’s political leaders that the US has a sent a message that they need Pakistan and that they cannot win the war (against terrorism) without Pakistan”.
 “They have also distanced themselves from the statement of Mullen (Admiral Mike Mullen, former US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff).  It is the victory of Pakistani nation, political parties as well as the government’s policy of reconciliation”, he remarked.
 
Prime Minister said that Southern Punjab had remained backward since the creation of Pakistan and expressed his government’s as well as party’s committment to create a new South Punjab province to remove the sense of deprivation of its people.
 He said that today’s historic public meeting has proved that demand for a new province of Southern Punjab was right besides it was also a referendum to make Southern Punjab a new province.
 The Prime Minister on this occasion announced that Multan-Faisalabad Motorway would now start from Muzaffargarh and would be extended to Sindh via Lodhran and Bahawalpur.
 The motorway will also be linked to Gwadar via Ratodero, he said and added that he had also talked to the Chinese President and Premier to provide assistance to Pakistan  for the project  so that it proved to be another hallmark of Pak-China friendship like the Karakoram Highway (KKH).
 He said the motorway—after linking southern and northern Punjab would bring industrial revolution in the area and usher in a new era of prosperity for the people.
 Abdul Qadir Gilani, MPA, while addressing the public meeting said the huge crowd of people from South Punjab was a referendum in the support of creating a new province from Sahiwal to Sadiqabad.
 He said the people of South Punjab, who had been deprived of their rights in the past, have now realized that their hard-earned resources were being utilized for the development of Lahore and surrounding areas.
 Qadir Gilani vowed to work for the rights of the people of South Punjab. He said the construction of motorway in the area would provide ample opportunities of economic development and would create jobs.    
 The public meeting was also addressed by a number of parliamentarians and local leaders.
 Earlier, the Prime Minister accompanied by Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah performed the ground-breaking of the project. Federal Minister for Communication Arbab Alamgir was also present.
 The mega project is in line with the government’s project of upgrading the communication network across the country to facilitate the people.
The Multan-Faisalabad Motorway will be completed in four phases including the Multan-Khanewal (57km), Khanewal-Shorkot (65km), Shorkot-Gojra (61km) and Gojra-Faisalabad (58km).
The five interchanges including Vehari road interchange, LMQ interchange, Tataypur interchange, Bahawalpur interchange, and Shujaabad interchange at Milton-Khanewal section will be constructed.
 The motorway will connect the Indus Highway (N-55) and will reduce the travelling distance between Karachi and Islamabad.