President Asif Ali Zardari presides over a meeting at Bilawal House in Karachi. – File Photo by PPI

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) was behind the conspiracy of Mohajir province, DawnNews reported.

Addressing a meeting of Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) provincial parliamentarians at Bilalwal House for taking them into confidence on a host of national issues in an interactive session that lasted for three hours, Zardari said that people of Sindh cannot be misled by having rallies in the province.

Referring to PML-N’s recent campaign in Sindh, the co-chairman of the PPP said that people of the province are sensible enough to know that which political party was actually serving them and which was against their interests.

The president asked the legislators to spread the message of reconciliation in every nook and corner of the country for the upcoming elections as envisaged by Benazir Bhutto.

President Zardari said that the party wanted to “promote love and not hatred.”

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza and provincial ministers were also present on the occasion.

Commenting on current energy crisis in the country, the president said that the issue will be resolved in next few months with support and suggestions of coalition partners.

President Zardari said that the government realised the enormity of the challenge of energy shortage and was determined to overcome it in the shortest possible time.

“No matter what successes we may achieve in the political field, in empowering provinces, in constitutional reforms and fighting the militants, the people will judge us by the measure of success in overcoming the power shortages and the government was fullly conscious of it,” said the president.

Presidential Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that wide ranging issues that the president touched upon included the current political situation, party policy on various issues, fight against militancy, election reforms, a neutral caretaker set up, new province in South Punjab, poverty alleviation, the economic situation and the Nato summit in Chicago.

Disengagement is not a democratic option the President said with reference to his participation in the Chicago summit and emphasising upon the international community that Salala incident had necessitated a review while at the same time informing them that the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) had asked the Pakistani negotiators to conclude early negotiations on the Nato supply routes.

The president also directed setting up of a four member committee of the party MPAs to prepare periodic reports on the performance of various ministries and bring it to the attention of the party leadership.

Meanwhile, speaking to media representatives after attending the meeting, Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri said that the president has said that the PPP has always respected the mandate of the people and therefore, holds the coalition partners including MQM, PML-F, National Peoples Party and ANP in high esteem.

The president informed the legislators that the procedures of issuing computerised national identity cards (CNICs) has been improved to ensure transparency in the forthcoming elections, so that one man can cast one vote only, said Marri.

The Sindh information minister said that the president also referred to on-going propaganda in the country and commented that the PML-N leadership is dreaming of coming into power through non-democratic means.

Marri said that the provincial lawmakers also raised issues of their constituencies and gave suggestions for their solutions.

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