LAHORE, March 7: The Pakistan Muslim League-N announced here on Thursday its election manifesto which focuses on revival of economy and resolution of energy crisis.

The 100-plus page document containing 32 concrete targets unveiled by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif at a press conference proposes right to food as a fundamental right through a constitutional amendment and parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies to resolve the issue of missing persons and curb misuse of authority.

He said the manifesto was based on facts, not on fiction, and had set only achievable targets, adding that both resources and difficulties had been kept in mind while preparing the document.

As part of the economic revival plan, it aims at reducing budget deficit to four per cent by increasing tax-to-GDP ratio from the current nine per cent to 15. It proposes a 33 per cent reduction in expenses other than the salary and pensions and restructuring of and selling loss-making state enterprises.

The government borrowing which, Mr Sharif claimed, had reached Rs7 billion a day, would be contained and tax and interest rates would be reduced to bring down inflation to single digit.

The PML-N will encourage regional trade and curb red-tapism to speed up the process of decision-making.

ENERGY: The party promises to end the energy crisis in two years, plans to merge the ministries of water and power and petroleum and natural resources, reform the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority and distribution and generation companies, permanently resolve the issue of circular debt through tariff on average system-wise cost with subsidies only for lifeline consumers, divert gas to power plants to minimise production cost and convert furnace oil-fired plants into coal-fired ones.

There will a ban on new CNG stations and the public transport will be given priority in gas supply.

EMPLOYMENT: The manifesto promises to create over three million jobs in public and private sectors and gradually increase the minimum salary to Rs15,000 per month.

An overseas Pakistanis business and professional forum will be set up to increase expatriates’ role in nation building.

Parliament’s standing committees will be strengthened, district ethics committees will be formed to monitor the performance of officials, district ombudsman office will be created and administrative and financial responsibility will be devolved to local governments under Article 140-A of the Constitution.

Mr Sharif said his party would hold local government polls within six months after the general election.

CORRUPTION: The party promises to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, suggests an administratively and financially independent National Accountability Commission, plans to withdraw or reduce discretionary powers and enact ‘whistle-blower’ protection law and freedom of information law to improve transparency in governance. All departments and agencies will be required to post their budgets on websites with details of over Rs1 million expenses.

FOREIGN POLICY: The Kashmir issue will be resolved on the basis of UN resolutions and Lahore Declaration and urgency will be accorded to ‘water management’ in the context of relations with neighbouring countries.

Strategic assets would be increased and improved to ensure strategic parity in the region, said Mr Sharif in whose second term as prime minister the country became a nuclear power in May 1998.

Trade and investment links with the EU, ECO, Asean and SCO regions and other important countries will be strengthened.

MILITANCY: Acknowledging that force alone cannot solve problems of militancy and terrorism, the PML-N plans to integrate Fata into constitutional framework by declaring it a federating unit with the consent of its people, initiate small- and medium-sized enterprises under a crash programme, amend anti-terrorism laws to provide appropriate standards of evidence, prosecution and protection of judges and witnesses.

The manifesto suggests parliamentary oversight of intelligence services and envisages an institutional mechanism for better coordination among the agencies.