ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said he wanted to strengthen the country by empowering its people and its provinces.

“The first thing I did after assuming office was to create consensus in parliament for the empowerment of people,” he said at the second ‘Pakistan Leaders of Tomorrow’ conference at the presidency.

The event was organised by the ministry of information and broadcasting on the special initiative of President Zardari.

Mr Zardari said he voluntarily gave up all powers of the presidency to the parliament in order to strengthen democracy in the country.

Referring to the geo-strategic situation, he said that attempts were being made to weaken Pakistan, but he had strengthened the federating units in order to strengthen the country.

The president said the government had not only pursued a policy of reconciliation at home but also took steps to improve its relations with the neighboring countries.

He said the government, from day one, made it clear that it wanted trade not aid to address Pakistan’s economic problems.

“We believe in increased trade as it contributes to peace and development,” he remarked.

The president said Pakistan was facing great challenges from the mindset that attacked Malala Yousufzai in Swat.

He urged the youth to take up the challenge and fight the mindset because it was threatening the country and its future generations.

Praising the potential of the youth, Mr Zardari said it was time for everyone to think what he could do for the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the PPP, called upon all political parties to cooperate with each other to fight terrorism.

“Pakistan has been facing menace of extremism and terrorism and there is a need for united efforts by all the political forces to face the challenges,” he said.

Referring to the ‘joint responsibilities’ to face the threat of terrorism, Bilawal Bhutto said that keeping in view the importance of the issue, the PPP had put aside its difference with other political forces.

“We have to protect Jinnah’s Pakistan from the threat of the Taliban,” he remarked.

He said PML-N had been part of the coalition in the initial months and the government was able to build the necessary consensus in the country that allowed it to end Taliban rule in Swat and raise the flag of Pakistan there once again.

The PPP chairman said he was certain that Nawaz Sharif was genuinely an ally in supporting democracy in the country.

He welcomed Imran Khan’s decision to finally take part in the next general election and expressed the confidence that his inclusion would have a positive impact on politics in the country.

He said he was even certain that the government would be able to build consensus with the religious parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami.

“We are opposed to drone strikes,” he said, but pointed out that that if these been carried out with the knowledge of the PPP-led government then the then foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi should have resigned on the issue.

He said that after the US raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed, the PPP and the president were among the few political parties to stand by the armed forces.

He said even Nawaz Sharif was calling for military and intelligence leadership to be sacked but President Zardari was defending military leadership and defending Pakistan.—PPP