Peace in Karachi vital for country: Gilani
LAHORE, July 26 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that peace in Karachi was vital for  the progress and prosperity of Pakistan. “Karachi is a hub of economic activities and peace is necessary for sustained financial growth of the country,” he said while addressing a meeting of PPP parliamentarians in Punjab Assembly at Governor’s House.  Federal ministers Rehman Malik, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Dr Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, Naveed Qamar, Samina Khalid Ghurki and Dr Asim, and Chairman of BISP Farzana Raja, Chairman of Bait-ul-Mall Zumurd Khan and former Law Minister Babar Awan were also present during the meeting. 
The Prime Minister called upon all the political forces to sit together in order to salvage durable peace in the city of Quaid-i-Azam.
“Security agencies have been directed to employ all their resources to curb current wave of crime and target killings and restore gaiety of the city of lights- Karachi,” he said.
He said that a comprehensive programme would be initiated during the next two years to overcome poverty in the country as many people were living below the poverty line.
Gilani said that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) would be expanded as the programme had earned international recognition for its transparency.
Appreciating the performance of Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal (BMP), he directed the Finance Ministry to increase its funds so that maximum relief could be provided to the poor.
The Prime Minister said that the government was launching a mega road project of Faisalabad-Multan Motorway and the tender for this project would soon be opened.
He also directed the Finance Ministry to prepare blueprint of a motorway which would link all the provinces.
“This will usher in a new era of economic uplift in the country,” Gilani said.
He said that the government had added 3000 mw electricity to the national grid while the provinces had been given rights to generate power with their own resources to end loadshedding in the country.
Prime Minister Gilani said that Pakistan wanted good relations with all its neighbours in the region and added that the government had taken all political forces on board on the Pak-India dialogue process.