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Musharraf de facto president, says Zardari

* PPP co-chairman says party has working relations with Presidency
* Says country’s security, economy, democracy govt’s priorities

JEDDAH: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) does not acknowledge President Pervez Musharraf as a constitutional president as he occupies the position by default, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday. Zardari, who was in Saudi Arabia with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for talks with the Saudi leadership, told reporters, “The PPP-led government has a working relationship with the president as we have to run the affairs of state.” He said the PPP had never supported any dictator in the past nor would it do so in future, adding, the party had never sought dictators’ support to come into power. The PPP co-chairman said his party did not believe in working with personalities, instead it worked for the improvement of the collective political system and the strengthening of institutions. Priorities: “Security, economy and democracy in Pakistan are the priorities of the PPP-led government,” he said. He blamed mismanagement and poor policies of the last decade for the current economic crisis. Zardari said the Saudi leadership had always been generous towards Pakistan, and that it always supported Pakistan’s interests. He said Gilani’s visit to Saudi Arabia would help give new dimension to Pakistan’s ties with the kingdom in the long term, adding that “Saudi Arabia will help Pakistan improve its strategic oil reserves, to make them permanent.” Zardari also said consumer financing brought a negative impact to society, adding that it had resulted in an increase in street crime. He asked how the law and order situation could be improved over a minimum time frame when the country was facing challenges along its borders. Zardari said, “In Pakistan’s environment, we have to see many things, but it does not mean that we fear anyone in any matter.” Zardari also said the government would provide financial packages ranging from Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 to low-income earners in society in the upcoming budget, to improve their buying capacity. He said these payments would be doubled within a year. He said the government would take stringent measures to overcome budget deficit, and would not indulge in a “blame game” over the issue. app

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