President, PM hail performance of outgoing Cabinet
ISLAMABAD, Feb 10 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani lauding the performance of the outgoing Cabinet on Thursday called upon the party stalwarts to remain united in tackling the challenges facing the country.  They were speaking at a farewell banquet hosted by the Prime Minister for the outgoing Cabinet members here at the Prime Minister House on Thursday night.
President Zardari in his remarks thanked the Cabinet members particularly from the PPP for staying together and firmly facing all odds in the last three years.
“We all have come a long way in our great struggle..., We are here on a mission. We have taken on a mission. We have completed part of the mission. We have completed most of our manifesto”, he stressed.
Referring to the formation of a new cabinet, the President said, “if anybody is not being accommodated, it does not mean that I don’t love you or think less of you.”
President Zardari termed the last three years as one phase of the PPP government and said, “there will be many new phases in future, there will be many more victories to come, if we remain united and Insha Allah I have all hopes in God, we will.”
“There is no reason to believe that any of you will ever let us down because we have come through a great test”, he remarked.
“We indeed in the PPP are a family and if anybody’s heart hurts and his mind or feelings are perturbed by this situation of us shrinking the cabinet, and therefore not choosing them, always believe, always think that it is in a better cause”, he stressed.
The President on this occasion also referred to his decision of surrendering his powers to parliament and said, “Not even a clerk wants to give up his powers”, adding, but it was only his trust in them and the strength he got from them that he made that historic decision to give up his powers to the parliament.
President Zardari said when he decided to give up his power even “our friends, sometimes opponent and co-sharer in Punjab” did not believe.
Referring to the restoration of judiciary, the President said the PPP government may have some weaknesses and did not meet deadlines set by them, but “we did restored them”.
Earlier, Prime Minister Gilani in his remarks also hailed the performance of the outgoing cabinet and said forming the new cabinet was necessitated after a number of ministries were devolved to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He said the reconstitution of cabinet did not mean that the government was not satisfied with the performance of any minister, but it was meant to renew the pledge that all of us would strive to address the problems of masses with new ways.
The Prime Minister said his cabinet worked with dedication and zeal in difficult circumstances and assisted him in taking even hard decisions.
Gilani said a new culture of reconciliatory politics and taking all political forces was introduced, which created an environment of political tolerance and harmony.
The Prime Minister said all the cabinet members should take pride of the fact that 77 percent of the total of 750 decisions taken by the cabinet during the last three years were implemented, which also indicates better performance of the government.
He said major legislation and bills including the 18th and 19th Amendments were approved by the parliament, adding, its credit also goes to the cabinet.
The Prime Minister said it was due to the government’s positive foreign policy that Pakistan is now seen with respect by the international community and they have extended all out support to Pakistan in the war against terrorism.