President Asif Ali Zardari delivered an address to the joint session of parliament, marking the beginning of the second parliamentary year of the current National Assembly.
“It is my singular privilege as your president to address for the eighth time the beginning of the parliamentary year,” Zardari said amid noisy sloganeering from opposition members.
“This moment marks not only the continuation of our democratic journey but also provides us with an opportunity to review our progress and reaffirm our commitment to building a better future for Pakistan.”
“As we embark on this new parliamentary year, I urge this house in promoting good governance and political economic stability.
“Our people have pinned their hope on parliament and we must rise to the occasion,” he said.
“It is my first duty to remind you we need to work harder to strengthen our democratic system, restore public confidence in the rule of law, and put Pakistan on the road to prosperity.”
As protests by opposition members continued, President Zardari said: “I would like to appreciate the government’s efforts of putting the country on a positive path through economic growth. Our foreign exchange reserves have experienced a surge, there was a substantial increase in FDI and and the stock market also surged to a record high.”
The government has also reduced the policy rate from 22 to 12 per cent, and all other economic indicators have shown a healthy sign of improvement, he said.
“You are aware that the population dynamics of our country have changed. A combination of factors presents challenges we must address. The high rate of our population growth along with strategic drift in our administrative machinery has increased governance issues manifold.
“It is my considered opinion that this House should take its responsibilities seriously, and play its role in a real re-set of our governance and service delivery outcomes,” the president said.
“As far as the government is concerned, ministries too need to redefine their vision and objectives, and understand that pressing issues faced by the people of Pakistan have to be resolved within a certain time frame,” he said. “We need to deliver tangible benefits to restore the trust of the people in democratic institutions.”
The president went on to say: “Democracy needs give and take, and what better place to work on collective goals than this Parliament?”
“As elected representatives, you function as role models for the nation. As you go about your parliamentary business think beyond narrow goals. Think of the unity and consensus our country so desperately needs.”
“I would urge all of you to empower our people, make decisions of national importance with consensus, encourage domestic and international investments for economic growth and job creation, foster social and economic justice, and ensure fairness and transparency in our system,” he said.
Zardari, who is serving as the country’s president for the second time, has already addressed the joint sitting of parliament seven times, including once during the present regime last year.
