SIALKOT
Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has ruled out the suspension of treason trial of former president Pervez Musharraf, before the Special Court, saying that the law would be followed in this regard.
Addressing a meeting of the Sialkot lawyers held by District Bar Association, he said that no one is above the law, and added that Musharraf had no moral courage to face trial in the court.
Regarding law and order, Mr Asif said that the government was striving to find out a peaceful solution to terrorism. He said establishing peace in the country was the top priority of the government. He said that it was battling for survival with sincerity to ensure positive results of the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban. However, it would be a great national loss if these talks remain failed, he said.
The federal minister said that the government was fully aware of the eternal and external dangers and making hectic efforts to cope with the issue. He said that the government was also strengthening the national institutions through promotion of democracy. He said that the government would bring 1,600 to 1,700 megawatts electricity in the national grid in April 2014, which would help reduce loadshedding in the coming summer season. He urged the masses to end the unnecessary use of electricity especially in the peak hours and close all the markets, bazaars, shops and shopping centres early in the evening. He said that the government would soon announce a schedule in this regard.
He urged the lawyers to motivate the people to end the unnecessary use of the electricity and to use the alternative resources of energy like sunlight. He said that there was acute shortage of gas for the next two years. He hoped that the government would soon import gas and said that the gas availability will be better till the end of 2015.
He said that the government was also considering converting all the power plants generating electricity with patrol to the gas. He added that saving of electricity was a national obligation and the demand of the day. The people could change the fate of the country by changing their habits including the unnecessary use of power and gas, he said.
He said that the PML-N had successfully put the country on the highway to success, economic and political stability by taking important decisions on the right time in the larger national interest. PML-N government was implementing several revolutionary practical steps to pull the country out of persisting crises, he said.
He said that the rule of law is a must for national development, prosperity, peace and justice. He said that provision of early and easy justice could be helpful in curbing the menace of injustice. He said that the lawyers’ community should play its pivotal role in ensuring smooth provision of justice.
He said that the devaluation of US dollar was an indicator of success of government’s positive and effective economic policies. He highly praised the role of the lawyers in restoration and freedom of the judiciary. He said that the credit went to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who came out to lead the movement and remained successful in the cause.
He announced Rs5 million special grant for Sialkot District Bar Association. He said that a 100-bed cardiology centre would start functioning at Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital Sialkot in June 2014. He said that the Sialkot Campus of the University of Punjab would also be established soon adjacent to the ground of Govt Jinnah Islamia College Sialkot.
He also announced early dualization of 100 kilometre Sialkot-Eimanabad Road, saying that the project had been included in the coming federal budget and construction would start in September 2014. The project would reduce the travelling distance between Sialkot and Lahore.
He pledged to make efforts to make Sialkot a model district of the Punjab following its global trade, industrial and export significance. Later, he inaugurated the newly established block of additional classrooms at Govt Girls Degree College Hajipura and laid the foundation stone of reconstruction of Hajipura-Daska Road.