PRESIDENT’S address to the joint session of parliament is generally considered a traditional and routine exercise marking the beginning of the new parliamentary year but the one delivered by President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday was different in the sense the head of the state not only eulogized achievements of the Government in different spheres of life but also criticized policies, which he believed, could harm the federation.
He also underlined grievances of the people including plight of the fixed-income groups, urging the parliament to play its assigned role in resolving them and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to continue its support for the just cause of Kashmiri people.
The balanced speech of the President encompassing valuable suggestions to improve governance, promote welfare of the people and the need for collective efforts to strengthen the democratic process deserve serious consideration by the Government, the MPs and the opposition parties.
No party would differ when the President calls for unity to revive the country’s economy, strengthen democracy and the rule of law but the way the opposition continued to make a noisy protest throughout the duration of the address, once again, highlighted the sorry state of self-centered politics, a trend that needs to be changed in the overall interests of the country.
The President’s appreciation of the economic policies and improved macro-economic indicators assumes greater significance as it comes from a head of the state who belongs to a major political party, which has been criticizing some of the policies despite being a coalition partner and a stakeholder.
In this regard, Mr.Zardari referred to the policies aimed at spurring economic growth including a surge in foreign exchange reserves and proposed a robust roadmap to keep the journey of the country on this positive path.
In this regard, he suggested expansion of the tax net (not by overburdening those who already contribute, but by ensuring that every eligible taxpayer participates in nation-building), diversification of exports, making the IT industry driver of economic growth, sustained support for SMEs and more focus on domestic and regional connectivity – the goals the incumbent government is committed to pursue.
The President spoke for the masses and the government employees when he called on the Government to provide ‘real relief’ to the people in the forthcoming budget by way of increasing salaries and pensions and lowering energy cost.
One hopes the government will incorporate these suggestions in a meaningful way as inflation-ridden people and government servants deserve substantial relief without further loss of time.
True to the pro-jobs policy of the PPP, Mr Asif Ali Zardari opposed the so-called down-sizing and job cuts and called for shifting of the focus instead on creating jobs and utilizing trained manpower productively.
The President, who contributed to the evolution of the epoch-making China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), understandably emphasized the need for greater connectivity, especially in respect of Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan as these regions are Pakistan’s strategic frontiers and are vital to our national economy.
The Government must listen to the advice of the President vis-à-vis completion of the CPEC and other connectivity projects that Pakistan can serve as a gateway for international trade, linking Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.
The President also referred to the challenges like climate change and internal as well as external security issues with a call for rebuilding consensus to tackle extremism and terrorism to ensure the country’s continued march on the road to progress and development.
As for the concern raised by the President in relation to the Cholistan canal project, this should be seen in the overall attitude of the PPP towards water issues, which is influenced by sensitivities of the general public in Sindh.
Usurpation of water rights of any federating unit will be an unforgivable crime but projects vital to agriculture must not be opposed for the sake of opposition as every province is entitled to pursue projects based exclusively on its own share of water.
