Opposition’s unconstitutional steps not to be tolerated: Gilani
MANDI BAHAUDDIN,Nov 13 (APP):Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that unconstitutional steps of the opposition against an elected government would not be tolerated, stressing that government’s reconciliatory policy should not be construed as  weakness. “The opposition may bring no-confidence move against me (the Prime Minister) or an impeachment motion against the President if it has developed certain disliking against the both,” he said while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating various public development projects at Phalia.The Prime Minister said PPP stood firm to its manifesto and the Charter of Democrcay (CoD) as per the vision and philosophy of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, adding that PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, one of the signatories of the CoD, had forgotten it.
PM Gilani said PPP would not retreat from serving the public and strengthening democracy and democratic institutions in the country.
 The Premier announced to launch country-wide ‘Carvan-e-Tameer’ from Phalia, Mandi Bahauddin, adding that he would go from Karachi to Khyber to launch development projects.  Gilani said PPP government would fulfil all the promises
of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto made with the people, adding that the inauguration of energy projects in the area was part of the PPP vision to provide facilities to the masses at their door step.
 Counting his party’s achievements, the PM said PPP founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the country 1973 constitution
 and the present government of PPP strengthened the parliament, restored the 1973 constitution as well as all the institutions of the country, adding that PPP government would respect all the institutions.
 Gilani said PPP would face all the challenges with the power of the masses rather than the government machinery, adding that the PPP critics must know that it had come into power through elections and not through back-door.
 He said the opposition should wait for the next general elections in 2013 instead of resorting to unconstitutional methods, adding that PML-N was worried about PPP’s expected success in March 2012 Senate elections.  
Addressing the PPP workers and leaders in the public meeting, the Prime Minister said that PPP had always displayed tolerance and patience despite victimization and persecutions at the hand of the political rivals and dictators. No political party had such courage and patience, he added.
 He said there was a thin line between accountability and revenge and PPP did not wish to usurp the rights of anybody through revenge, adding that he had already announced at the floor of the house to forgive past misdeeds of Pervez Musharraf.
 “There is no political prisoner during my stint as the Prime Minister despite the fact that I was put behind the bars for ten years,” he stressed.
 The Prime Minister said that PPP believed in politics of reconciliation and it would ensure service to the masses at all cost.
 Gilani said the government was fighting dearness, economic challenges, terrorism and energy crisis for a better tomorrow.Prime Minister Gilani said that he had great respect for the media, adding that PPP defended the cause of the media against the emergency imposed by the then dictator General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf.
 Gilani said the government had always welcomed the criticism from the media and taken guidance from it.
 Responding to the demands of the PPP’s MNA, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Tariq Tarar, the Prime Minister ordered the construction of an overhead bridge over railway crossing in Phalia, upgrading of local stadium, upgrading of local Chamber of Commerce and Industry building and approved electricity and Sui gas projects for the city.
 Gilani also announced Rs 500,000 each for the Phalia Press Club, Bar Council Phalia and Press Club Mandi Bahauddin.  He also directed the railway to look into the demands of the public welfare project in Phalia.
 Regarding the issue of urea prices, he said he had directed the ministers of finance and petroleum to check urea prices.The government, he said, had overcome the dearth of urea in the country through in-time import.
 Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the Rs 350 million 132-KV grid station, Rs 285 million worth of Sui gas project and also laid the foundation stone of road widening project to Qadirabad.
Those who were present at the public meeting included Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, PPP MNAs, Punjab MPAs, local leaders and a large number of PPP workers were present at the public meeting.