Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday promised to hold general elections in the country before the October 2002 deadline set by Supreme Court and said that his government`s de-weaponisation campaign coupled with strict anti-terrorism laws and economic restructuring would restore public confidence and improve governance. In his message to the people of Pakistan on the eve of 55th Independence Day of Pakistan to be celebrated on 14th August, he said that his government had completed the first phase of establishing grassroot democracy with the local body elections and the second and final phase of the elections would be held before the Supreme Court deadline. The people of Pakistan would be master of their own destiny. August 14, 2001 marks completion of the first phase of election and we are now to conclude the second and final phase of the process as per the deadline set by the Supreme Court and promised by the government, he said. He said that the government`s de-weaponisation campaign, stricter anti-terrorism laws, efficient and responsive enforcement machinery and economic revival would have positive impact on improving the overall governance in the country. Musharraf said that economic and structural reforms undertaken by the government would do away with vestiges of colonialism and restore public confidence in the system.
It is a matter of satisfaction that from August 14 this year, the nation would embark upon a new era, where we can take genuine pride in accomplishing the monumental task of empowering the people of Pakistan at grassroot level as was dreamt by our founding father of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Musharraf said.
Bureau Report