|
2. Revival of Genuine Democracy
Pakistan came into existence through a democratic struggle.
Pakistan can survive as a unified and strong federation
only through a viable and sustained democratic process.
PML(N) is fully committed to democracy. It will:
- strengthen all democratic institutions, and traditions
in all spheres of national life and improve the economic
condition of the common man.
- re-establish the supremacy of Parliament and its Committees
to perform the role assigned to it under the constitution;
- promote unity among the federating units through maximum
provincial autonomy and decentralization of administrative
and financial powers to provincial and lower levels;
- fully recognize the rights and privileges of the opposition
and the importance of internal party democracy and free
speech;
- ensure that the armed forces perform only such functions
as are assigned to them under the constitution;
- guarantee, subject to law and public morality, all
the fundamental rights including equality of status
and opportunity, freedom of thought, expression, belief,
faith, worship and association and equality before law;
- ensure that elections at all levels under a neutral
caretaker government are free and fair and the sanctity
of the vote is fully respected. All election cells in
intelligence and military establishments will be closed.
- PML(N) will appoint the Chief Election Commissioner
in consultation with the leader of the opposition in
the National Assembly. While the Chief Election Commissioner
will be a retired Chief Justice or judge of Supreme
Court or High Court, its members will be appointed from
among retired judges of the supreme Court or High Courts,
distinguished retired civil servant with impeccable
service record, or eminent jurists of national stature.
The number of members will be increased to five so that
the election petitions are decided within a reasonable
period of time.
- Hold elections for the national and provincial assemblies
on the same day.
3. Independent Judiciary and the Rule of Law
The judicial crisis that erupted on 9 March
2007, with the removal of the Chief Justice of Pakistan,
was an historic turning point in the political life
of the country. The manner in which members of the bar
launched a massive agitation campaign, with strong support
from the civil society and all the political parties
in the opposition, to uphold the independence and dignity
of the superior judiciary was unprecedented. The decision
of the full court on 20 July 2007, to set aside the
reference and to reinstate the Chief Justice, has become
a milestone in the nation's struggle for democracy and
the rule of law.
The Chief of Army Staff tried to undo this judgement
of 20 July through a Provisional Constitutional Order
(PCO) on 3 November 2007, under which he suspended the
constitution and removed 55 Judges of the Supreme Court
and High Courts who refused to take oath under the PCO,
so that he could get a favourable verdict on his eligibility
for the office of the President. Judicial atrocity on
this scale is unthinkable in today's world.
PML(N) is fully convinced that with such overwhelming
support from the lawyers and the civil society, these
Judges will be restored and the judicial institutions
will see a qualitative revolution in the coming years.
This regeneration of the judiciary will not only bury
for ever, the infamous law of necessity under which
military take overs have been sanctified in the past
5 decades, but also ensure that justice, which is the
corner stone of any civilized society, is available
to every citizen in all parts of the country. Today
the majority of people spend an inordinate amount of
time at police stations (thanas) and lower courts (katchery)
where they have no alternative but to buy justice through
the vicious and endless circle of safarish, bribery
or blackmail. This culture has to be ruthlessly uprooted.
PML(N) solemnly pledges to take effective steps to protect
the independence and dignity of the judicial system,
through the following specific measures:
· Appoint a judicial commission comprising eminent
jurists, Judges, parliamentarians, representatives of
lawyers, and civil society to recommend and supervise
restructuring and reforms of judicial system.
· The system of appointment of judges will be
reformed to ensure appointments on merit alone and in
a transparent manner.
· Judicial information system shall be put in
place for the efficient functioning of judiciary.
· Lower judiciary will be strengthened for speedy
delivery of justice in order to protect the life and
property of ordinary citizens.
· Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms shall
be developed to facilitate social cohesion.
· All discriminatory laws shall be abolished.
· Fair and across the board application of law
shall be ensured in the fight against crime so that
criminal elements are unable to misuse the judicial
system to their own advantage.
· Police will be made a community oriented service,
and reformed to become a modern crime-fighting machine
with better training and equipment.
· Narcotics trade and sectarian/religious violence
will be eliminated from the society.
· Special monitoring cells will be set up in
the center and the provinces to check heinous crimes,
and heinous crime cases and criminals will be dealt
with an iron hand.
· Crime fighting agencies will be trained in
the modern investigation and crime prevention techniques
and provided adequate tools.
· Citizen and Police liaison committees will
be set up at all levels.
· Pakistan Penal Code, Law of Evidence, and the
Criminal Procedures Code shall be revised to bring them
in line with the present day requirements of the society.
The concept of freedom and democracy is inseparable
from the rule of law. In Pakistan many political and
social problems have remained unresolved because we
as a nation have not been able to establish the rule
of law. PML(N) will endeavor to lay down solid foundations
for the rule of law through the following specific measures:
· The appointment of the governors, services
chiefs and the CJCSC shall be made by the chief executive
who is the prime minister, as per the 1973 Constitution.
· No judge shall take oath under any Provisional
Constitutional Order or any other oath that is contradictory
to the exact language of the original oath prescribed
in the Constitution of 1973.
· Administrative mechanisms will be instituted
for the prevention of misconduct, implementation of
code of ethics, and removal of judges on such charges
brought to its attention by any citizen. All special
courts including anti-terrorism and accountability courts
shall be abolished and such cases tried in ordinary
courts.
· A Federal Constitutional Court will be set
up to resolve constitutional issues, giving equal representation
to each of the federating units, whose members may be
judges or persons qualified to be judges of the Supreme
Court, constituted for a six year period. The appointment
of judges shall be made in the same manner as for judges
of higher judiciary. The Supreme and High Courts will
hear regular civil and criminal cases.
· The ban on a 'prime minister not being eligible
for a third term of office' will be removed.
· A Commission shall also examine and identify
the causes of and fix responsibility for the Kargil
crisis of 1999.
· The press and electronic media will be allowed
its independence. Access to information laws will be
further improved.
· The chairman of public accounts committee in
the national and provincial assemblies would be appointed
in consultation with the leaders of the opposition in
the respective assemblies.
4.
Good Governance
The
crisis of governance in Pakistan is extensive. We have
to revitalize the Pakistani society, as envisaged by
the founding fathers, so that it successfully integrates
itself with the international community; a society in
which there is mutual respect, protection of the rights
of women, minorities and under-privileged.
Governance in Pakistan is almost in a state of collapse.
The performance of bureaucracy at various tiers of the
government is ineffective and inefficient (corruption
notwithstanding) mainly on account of inappropriate
and whimsical appointments, postings and promotions
to various assignments. Immediate measures are required
to correct the situation, restore the confidence of
the bureaucracy and to ensure that they work with complete
commitment. This will require elimination of the dead
wood, de-politicization and encouragement to the qualified
and competent.
It has been claimed that the plan for devolution of
power to local bodies has been carried out to empower
the impoverished and strengthen the local governments.
But actually it has undercut mainstream political parties,
left widespread corruption unchecked and shifted power
away from the provinces as a means to bolster military
rule. What is required to develop institutions that
will promote a democratic culture and provide moderate
political forces an opportunity to serve the nation?
The key to good governance in Pakistan lies in the separation
of powers: the legislature should legislate, the executive
should execute laws and policies and the judiciary should
interpret the constitution and laws. Such a system cannot
tolerate the overbearing presence of the military with
its uncontrolled access to the power and resource base
of the nation.
With this paramount objective in view PML(N) will set
up a high level Commission to look at the entire governance
structure including the devolution/decentralization
process and to suggest amendments in laws that recognize
the ground realities in each province and are also suited
to the needs of the people.
Good Governance is a cross cutting theme and must apply
to all institutions that form part of the Government.
There cannot be any exception to this rule. It is imperative,
therefore, to select/appoint people of integrity to
head all government institutions. PML(N) will take following
specific measures in this regard:
· In order to depoliticize bureaucracy, government
servants shall be given security of service through
constitutional amendments.
· All discretionary power at all levels will
be withdrawn and all government decisions will be governed
by law and merit.
· The records of courts, land revenue and police
stations will be computerized. These institutions will
be provided with all necessary wherewithal and training
so that they function effectively and efficiently to
meet the requirements of the citizens at the grass root
level without sifarsih and rishwat.
· Kalashinkov culture, drug trafficking and smuggling
shall be eliminated through a systematic and effective
reform programme.
· Reforming the system of administration to ensure
that merit prevails over contacts and there are generous
rewards for efficiency and honesty.
5.
Corruption and Accountability
The evil of corruption has increased in the past
8 years and Pakistan now ranks among the seventh most
corrupt country in the world. Corruption not only destroys
the confidence of the people in the system of governance,
but is responsible for many other social and economic
evils in the country.
PML(N) will give top priority to the objective of eliminating
corruption from all segments of the society. For this
purpose:
- The National Accountability Bureau will be revamped.
It will not be an organization to be used (misused) by
the government for victimizing its opponents. Military
and judiciary will not be excluded from its purview.
- The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be replaced
with an independent accountability commission, whose chairman
shall be nominated by the prime minister in consultation
with the leader of opposition and confirmed by a join
parliamentary committee with 50 percent members from treasury
benches and remaining 50 percent from opposition parties.
- Prescribing the criteria of integrity as a basic qualification
for all senior appointments and strict observance of the
process of accountability at all levels without any discrimination
on the basis of rank or seniority.
- District Ombudsmen offices shall be set up in all districts
to provide relief to other common man against injustice
and bribery.
- The administrative system will be further streamlined
to reduce discretion and misuse of power.
6.
Civil Military Relations
The crux of Pakistan's failure in developing
sustainable democracy lies in the repeated interference
of military leadership in the political affairs of the
country, which has destabilized the country to a point
that further continuation of this pattern has become
a serious threat to the Federation. We lost East Pakistan
on this account, and voices of dissent from smaller
provinces are once again emerging. PML(N) feels it is
about time that military, which is a prestigious national
institution, resumes a pure professional role as in
other democratic countries.
Keeping in view the principles enunciated in the Charter
of Democracy, PML(N) will give priority to inter-alia
the following:
- National Security Council will be abolished. The Defense
Committee of the Cabinet will be reconstituted as the
Cabinet Committee on Defense and National Security and
will be chaired by the prime minister. It will have
a permanent secretariat under a national security adviser
to the prime minister. The efficacy of the higher defense
and security structure, created two decades ago, will
be reviewed. The Joint Services Command structure will
be strengthened and made more effective.
- Military's honour and respect as a professional and
not a political institution shall be restored. Highest
professional standards in the armed forces shall be
maintained.
- The defense budget will be brought within the purview
of the National Assembly for approval.
7.
Tolerant and Pluralistic Society
Prolonged periods of military rule in Pakistan
have also led to increased polarization along provincial,
religions, ethnic and political lines. The law and order
situation in all parts of Pakistan is not only threatened
by extremism but also by large scale insurgency as a reaction
to the policy of using force in the tribal belt and in
Baluchistan, without adequate political support from all
the stakeholders. There is growing alienation among the
smaller provinces and between the urban and rural areas.
This growing polarization has shaken the very foundations
of the Federation. PML(N) will strive to arrest this trend
and intensify efforts to create a more tolerant and pluralistic
society through the following measures:
· Supremacy of the Constitution and Parliament
shall be restored through making parliamentary institutions
effective, accountable, and responsive to the people.
· A new political order shall be enforced in consultation
with the opposition, whose guiding principles shall be
the following:
- The 1973 Constitution as on 12 October 1999 before the
military coup shall be restored with the provisions of
joint electorates, minorities, and women reserved seats.
- The Legal Framework Order, 2000 and the Seventeenth
Constitutional Amendment shall be repealed.
- The Concurrent List in the Constitution will be abolished
or drastically curtailed. A new NFC award by consensus
will be announced regularly at 5 yearly intervals and
the principle of provincial autonomy fully respected.
- The reserved seats for women in the national and provincial
assemblies will be allocated to the parties on the basis
of the number of votes polled in the general elections
by each party.
- The strength of the Senate of Pakistan shall be increased
to give representation to minorities in the Senate, and
senate seats will be allocated to parties in proportion
to total votes secured by them in most recent provincial
elections on the basis of lists of candidates filed along
with the nomination papers for general elections.
- FATA shall be brought into the mainstream of the country's
political, economic and cultural life.
- Northern Areas shall be developed by giving it a special
status and further empowering the Northern Areas Legislative
Council to provide people of Northern Areas access to
justice and human rights.
- Local body's elections will be held on party basis through
provincial election commissions in the respective provinces
and constitutional protection will be given to the local
bodies to make them autonomous and answerable to their
respective assemblies as well as to the people through
regular courts of law.
- A Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be established
to acknowledge victims of torture, imprisonment, state-sponsored
persecution, targeted legislation, and politically motivated
accountability. The Commission will also examine and report
its findings on military coups and illegal removal of
governments in the past two decades.
- Ensuring mutual respect and tolerance for a pluralistic
society, and the constitutional right of all citizens
to profess and practice their religion and develop their
cultures.
- Promoting good governance on the basis of principles
of equality and social justice.
- Simplicity shall be enforced at all levels of the state
machinery and VIP culture shall be eliminated.
- The size of national and provincial cabinets shall be
curtailed and the number of Ministers and Ministers of
State will not exceed a certain percentage of seats in
the National and Provincial Assemblies.
8.
Extremism and Terrorism
Extremism and its dreadful manifestation in
the form of terrorism and suicide bombing, is a very
complex phenomena whose nature must be clearly understood.
It is a lethal combination of traditional nationalism
rising against foreign occupation or foreign domination,
a mindset that believes in Islamic revival through force
and coercion and belatedly the symbolic manifestation
of a new class war against local, regional and global
elites.
The number of people with an extremist mindset in Pakistan
is very small, but there is a much larger number of
people, especially in NWFP and the Tribal areas, who
regard the war on terror as a campaign against Islam.
The use of force is and will remain necessary against
foreign and local terrorists who take innocent lives
and also to prevent infiltration across the Pakistan
border, but it is even more important to win the hearts
and minds of people who support them, through a concerted
process of political engagement.
PML(N) is committed to pursue this dual track approach
and take resolute steps to eradicate the menace of extremism
and terrorism which is also becoming a serious threat
to life and property in Pakistan.
During its previous tenure from 1997 to 1999, the PML(N)
government took a series of measures to control terrorist
group and counter their activities. It also supported
the efforts of the international community to deal with
this threat to peace and stability. In keeping with
this policy PML(N) will intensify these efforts by:
-
Strengthening the capacity of law enforcing agencies
to detect and control terrorist groups and their supporters;
- Influencing the groups which directly or indirectly
support terrorism, through political intermediaries
and civil society organizations to adhere to basic Islamic
principles of peace, moderation and justice.
- Promoting the rule of law, tolerance and mutual respect
in the country to overcome the sense of desperation
which pushes certain segments of society towards extremism.
- Taking steps to mainstream the tribal areas into the
political, economic and cultural activities of the country
and accelerating the pace of economic and social development
in these areas.
- Intensify diplomatic efforts to deal with the underlying
causes like Kashmir and Palestine.
9.
Education
With knowledge becoming the key driver of economic and
social progress in future, education must become number
one national priority. Education is also the greatest
single equalizer of society and mass education can help
to solve most of our problems. An educated, technological
advanced and progressive society is the aspiration of
all the people of Pakistan. During its previous tenure,
the PML(N) government took several important initiatives
in this sector. These will be supplemented by the following
policiesonal programme. To ensure decisive movement towards
this vital objective, PML(N) will take the following steps:
§ Ensure that education in all public sector institutions
upto higher secondary will be free of cost. The system
will work through provision of transferable voucher scheme
to encourage competition in the public sector educational
institutions.
§ Achieve 100% enrollment in middle school education
by 2012, 100% enrollment in secondary education (Matric)
by 2015; and 80% enrollment in higher secondary education
(Intermediate) by 2020.
§ Guarantee that all students who get first division
in both Matric and Intermediate examinations are ensured
of a place in a public sector college in their tehsil/taluka/sub-division.
This target will be achieved by 2010.
§ A National Education Corps will be set up to employ
all graduates without jobs and they will be employed in
literacy and adult education programmes with the objective
of achieving 100% adult literacy by 2010, 100% adult education
up to middle level by 2015, and 100% adult education up
to Matric by 2020.
§ The Federal Government will fund 50% of the public
sector education program up to higher secondary level
through grants to provinces and 100% of all public sector
universities and higher education institutions through
grants. The Federal Government will also fund the National
Education Corp.
§ Provide maximum facilities for science education
and vocational training for all middle and high school
students.
§ Provide fiscal and other incentives for private
investment in education.
§ Pay special attention to the development of libraries
at national, provincial and district levels.
§ Promote several centers for professional excellence
in various scientific disciplines by providing highly
qualified teachers, generous scholarships for training
abroad, and liberal grants to science laboratories.
PML(N) resolves to implement the National Education Policy
2010 to break the monopoly of elitist education system
and to create equal education opportunities for all by
reviving delivery of quality education in the public sector.
A participatory approach will be adopted to achieve key
targets through public private partnerships. Strategies
shall be made to optimally harness and utilize the existing
education facilities by improving governance, efficiency,
monitoring, and effectiveness.
To improve the quality of education for the poor, Education
Foundations will be set up in each Province and eventually
at the district level to take over and manage education
facilities through high level professionals. As described
in the section on Employment, they will be received grants
on per student basis.
National curricula will be standardized and adopted at
all levels to eliminate multi-class system based education
in the country. Sharp focus will be put on academic content
in science and mathematics. Curricula will be enriched
by putting more emphasis on acquisition of practical skills,
along with theoretical perception, and environmental education.
Teaching profession will be made more attractive by grant
of higher salaries to teachers who possess qualifications
higher than the prescribed level. Additional increments
for better performers and best teacher awards shall be
introduced at all levels of education. National medals
and awards will be given to nation's best teachers every
year. Principals/Heads of educational institutions/teachers
will be given special status in local areas. Female teachers
will be posted as close to their homes as possible.
Ethics and values based curriculum and teaching systems
with a focus on character building to develop honesty,
perseverance, tolerance, discipline, wisdom, innovation,
respect, and team play, as enshrined in Islam, will be
introduced at all levels. The teaching of Quran with translation
will be compulsory for all Muslim students in secondary
schools.
10.
Health
Without a healthy nation, there can be neither development
nor progress. Pakistan has lagged behind other developing
countries in terms of its social development. In the
last ten years, due to Social Action Program, initiated
by
PML-N government in 1992, there has been considerable
progress in improving the social indicators and controlling
the population growth rate as it mandated the provincial
governments to make significant allocations for the
social sectors, despite the financial problems they
faced.
PML-N remains committed to social sector development
and will inter-alia pursue the policy of providing quality
health care to all citizens in all parts of the country
through the following specific measures:
- Main Teaching Hospitals both in the Federal Capital
and Provincial headquarters will be modernized and equipped
with the state of the art medical equipment and facilities
especially in the field of Cardiovascular surgery, Cancer,
Organs transplant, Brain surgery and Burn and Dialysis
units, so that people do not have to seek expensive
medical treatment abroad.
- Production of quality generic medicines will be encouraged
to provide cheaper medicines to the common man.
- Cardiac clinics and facilities shall be extended to
district level hospitals, and institutes will be provided
more advanced technology and modern equipment. Incentives
will be provided to Cardiac clinics and institutes in
the private sector.
- To provide better services and coverage, District
and Tehsil Hospitals will be improved and upgraded by
appointing DHOs on merit basis, and providing sufficient
financial and administrative powers and better living
facilities.
- All out efforts will be made to provide clean drinking
water and basic hygiene facilities to the rural population.
- AIDS is an incurable, fatal but preventable disease.
A national campaign will be launched to make people
aware about its prevention and dangerous consequences.
- Effective measures to control Hepatitis, which has
become a serious health problem in Pakistan, will be
taken and coverage against Hepatitis B extended to at
least two third of the population.
- A new anti TB program, DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment
Short Course), against Tuberculosis will be implemented
to control Tuberculosis. Massive vaccination against
Poliomyelitis, Neonatal tetanus, Malaria and a cluster
of childhood diseases will be carried out, and immunization
coverage will be increased to 75-80%.
- Homeopathy and Tibb will be promoted after they meet
the criteria of desired standards for medical education
by making amendments in the law.
- Senior citizens will be provided special health care
facilities like eye glasses, hospitalization and treatment
at favourable fee rates, and pharmacies will be instructed
to provide medicines at discounted prices. Free medical
care will be provided to deserving patients.
- Free medical care will be provided to poor and deserving
patients through Zakat fund assistance ear-marked for
health care.
- Special health education centers shall be opened in
all districts.
11.
Science & Technology
A modern S&T infrastructure will be put in place including:
· PhD scholarships in local universities and world's
top universities in areas of priority for human resource
development.
· Reorienting S&T infrastructure towards economic
needs of Pakistan for creating sustainable competitive
advantage in exports.
· Strengthening the S&T organizations by providing
research grants and competent management.
· Developing competencies in the future technologies.
· Strengthening Quality and Productivity infrastructure
in the country through launching a national campaign in
partnership with the private sector.
· Promoting indigenous solutions and applied technology
for solving our economic and technical problems.
· Offering incentives to outstanding Pakistani
scientists and engineers to return to Pakistan and contribute
to national development.
· Promoting local talent and manpower in consultancies.
· Giving role to professional bodies in national
policy and decision-making.
12.
Reducing Poverty
Poverty in Pakistan has assumed alarming proportion. Despite
government's claims that it has reduced poverty, at least
50 million people are still living in abject poverty,
without adequate food, clothing, education or shelter.
The pattern of growth adopted by the present government
is pro-rich and the benefit of the higher rates of economic
growth achieved as a result of larger external flows after
the events of September 11, 2001, have accrued largely
to higher income groups and have hardly touched the bottom
one third of the country's population particularly those
living in rural areas. Report by the international financial
institutions have confirmed that increasing inequality
has overshadowed poverty reduction, as income distribution
has largely benefited the urban population while adversely
affecting the rural inhabitants.
PML(N) will evolve a comprehensive package of pro-poor
policies, institutions and programmes. The overall approach
on which this package is based is holistic and its different
elements are mutually reinforcing:
- The processes through which causes and solutions of
the poverty problem are explored must involve the poor
themselves. A participatory poverty assessment programme
will then generate the awareness and the energy for participatory
solutions. Most poor people, if asked, will point to the
inadequacy of the justice system, harassment by police,
discrimination by powerful individuals or groups in the
locality, lack of water and other essential services and
absence of dependable means of livelihood. These problems
facing the poor cannot be resolved unless and until we
develop the human capital of the poor through education
and training, social capital of the poor through formal
and informal institutions and political capital of the
poor through inclusion in decision making at different
levels.
- The basic foundation of a pro-poor policy framework
is to recognize and operationalize the fundamental rights
enshrined in the constitution by ensuring equal rights
under the law, universal access for all citizens to public
services, and equitable access to economic opportunities.
These rights can be safeguarded only under a genuine democratic
dispensation.
- The process of mainstreaming the poor, as opposed to
helping them at the margin through micro credit or different
employment promotion schemes, will require a series of
institutional innovations that can bring together the
poor as the main beneficiaries with support from professional
managers.
- In this context PML(N) will set up Education Foundations
for the poor in each province. The foundations managed
by qualified professionals will take over existing under
utilized public school buildings or build new schools
exclusively for the poor. The Provincial Government will
give them annual grants on per student basis. These provincial
foundations will gradually set up district education foundations.
The foundations may receive additional funding from local
and international donors.
- Similar foundations can be set up in the health sector
at the provincial and district level to manage basic health
units and rural health centers and expand these facilities
for the benefit of the poor. The Foundation can provide
quality health services by using electronic services.
- These institutional mechanisms for mainstreaming the
poor will also be extended to investment and income earning
opportunities by creating manufacturing and service enterprises
which are owned by the poor but run by the professional
managers. The poor will be given bank loans to buy equity
in these enterprises and pay back the loans through dividends
earned by the enterprise.
- Similar mechanisms will be establishment in other sectors,
like land development, and agro services. Reclaimed land
or state land brought under cultivation through irrigation
schemes will be allotted primarily to poor and landless
households, and Land Development Corporations established
in different districts with majority equity holdings for
the poor, contributed in kind or in cash through bank
loans. In urban areas, these corporations will establish
housing schemes for low income families.
-
These foundations for the poor will play a major role
in scaling up the micro credit operations in the country
by improving access and ensure effective utilization
and timely repayment.
- In addition PML(N) will maintain reasonable food prices
throughout the year in all parts of the country and
protect wages in real terms for urban and rural areas.
13.
Employment
A major aim of the socio-economic policies of PML(N) will
be to expand employment opportunities in order to reduce
poverty and at the same time ensure a fuller utilization
of the country's human resources for productive purposes,
through the following programmes:
· A National Manpower Plan will be prepared to
match the demand and supply of manpower and to provide
a basis for periodical adjustments in the programmes of
education and training.
· New employment opportunities will be provided
to over three million persons in the public and private
sectors.
· A programme of vigorous industrialization and
small and medium enterprises will be undertaken in the
urban and rural areas to absorb unemployed labour.
· Maximum emphasis will be placed on the programmes
of rural development to provide gainful opportunities
for income and employment within the rural areas and prevent
the tendency of migration from urban to rural areas.
· The taxation system will be modified to encourage
rapid growth in investment, particularly in employment
intensive activities.
· A National Employment Fund will be created to
assist qualified and skilled youth to set up their own
business or professional practice. Self employment on
individual or cooperative basis will be given maximum
support.
· A National Education Corps will be recruited
from among the educated unemployed to spread literacy
in the country.
· Employment opportunities for qualified doctors
will be provided by constructing more hospitals; extending
soft term, easy installment loans on personal surety to
doctors to establish them in private practice; and giving
tax concessions for establishment and expansion of private
hospitals.
·
A comprehensive programme will be implemented for the
full absorption of engineers, scientist and other skilled
manpower, including a new National Consultancy Policy
for the use of national consultants, strengthening and
expansion of existing scientific institutions, creation
of new institutes for modern technologies and making
it obligatory for the private industrialists to hire
adequate expertise in their respective fields.
· A programme for the development of technical
skills to produce technically trained and employable
manpower will be implemented. For this purpose the intake
of polytechnics and vocational schools. Initially this
can be achieved by introducing double shift in existing
institutions.
· Para medical training institutions for females
will be attached to each district and tehsil hospital
and facilities for the training of female teachers will
be expanded in all districts to meet the large demand
for these personnel, particularly in rural areas.
14.
Controlling Inflation
Inflation has become one of the most serious problems
for the common man, since the prices of most essential
items have gone up from 80 to 150 percent in the past
8 years. This is partly the result of a liquidity driven
and consumption based growth strategy under which the
unprecedented inflow of external resources after 9/11
has gone into real estate, the stock market and large
scale consumer financing by the Banks. At the same time,
the relative neglect of agriculture, created serious shortages
of different commodities at different times in the country,
and did not allow adequate supply response to the growing
demand created by excess liquidity.
PML(N) will tackle this back-breaking problem through
a multi pronged strategy by:
- Giving top priority to the agriculture sector and within
agriculture to high value and minor crops, like fruits,
vegetables, pulses, vegetable oil and spices.
- Improving the post harvest, marketing storage and transport
systems for these crops to reduce crop losses and ensure
reasonable prices in different parts of the country.
- Expanding processing facilities for high value crops
to even out seasonal fluctuations in prices.
- PML(N) will pay special attention to food prices, which
have more than doubled in the past 8 years to ensure that
items like wheat, rice, sugar and edible oils are available
to the common man at reasonable prices.
- PML(N) will also adopt a pro-poor and inclusive growth
strategy to increase the incomes of poor people by diverting
resources from the consumption to investment through appropriate
fiscal and other policies.
15.
Agricultural and Rural Development
Pakistan Muslim League (N) believes that prosperous
agriculture is the real basis of national prosperity
and diversification of the rural economy by expanding
non farm rural employment is critical for the alleviation
of poverty. To accelerate the pace of agricultural and
rural development, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) shall:
· Turn agriculture into a fully viable economic
industry by changing the policy framework and terms
of trade in favour of agriculture.
· Focus on the small farmers as the real back
bone of the rural economy and assure his access to knowledge,
inputs and markets. Development of the livestock sector
will be given high priority.
· Revitalize the cooperative movement to meet
the real needs of the rural population by setting up
agri service corporations with majority equity of the
poor and managed by professional managers.
· Reform the agricultural credit system to ensure
that at least 50% of the total is provided to the small
farmers and land owners are able to obtain credit on
the basis of the market value of the land rather than
outdated produce index units.
· Move rapidly towards national self-sufficiency
in oil seeds.
· Convert Pakistan into a large net exporter
of food and high-value crops and remove restrictions
on agricultural exports.
· Building consensus on the basis of the 1991
Water Accord on the distribution of Indus System to
allow new water projects to be undertaken and extension
of irrigation facilities to additional areas.
· Ensure full utilization of available water
resources by expanding the on-farm water management
programme.
· Initiate schemes for crop insurance through
private insurance companies to protect the farmer against
the vagaries of weather.
· Encourage ecologically sound development policies
to preserve and develop the country's natural and forest
resources to counteract the impact of global warming.
· Provide incentives for farmers to adopt social
forestry on a commercial scale rather than depend on
restrictive laws for this purpose particularly in border
areas.
· Expand the programme to fight the cancer of
water-logging and salinity.
· A major programme of aquifer recharge in arid
and semi arid areas of Cholistan, Thar and Balochistan
to ensure that water flow from tubewells installed in
these areas can be sustained.
· Immediate updating of the revenue and property
records using Information Technology will be undertaken.
Based on the information so generated 'benamis' can
be done away with property rights of female members
protected and access to credit by the poor assured.
· Policy shift in agriculture from commodity
based agriculture to product based agriculture. As an
example 22 products can be produced from corn.
· All agricultural research organizations will
be completely revamped to ensure that the benefits of
research actually reach the farmers.
· Agricultural education in general and curriculum
of agriculture universities in particular will be modernized.
· Mafias and monopolies in case of major agriculture
products will be done away with by putting in place
appropriate agricultural marketing strategies.
Under
its land reform programme, PML(N) will reclaim and irrigate
additional land for allotment to landless haris and
tenants. It will also undertake a land consolidation
programme to create viable units for modern agriculture.
16.
Industrial Development
The manufacturing sector in Pakistan is in a state of
crisis because of rising costs of utilities and credit
and low labour productivity. Its industrial structure
is stuck in low value sectors and its ability to complete
is shrinking. The survival of any nation in today's world
depends upon its ability to absorb the technological progress
of this age and improve its competitive edge. Planned
industrial development along with sustained progress in
agriculture must be the two important pillars of our economic
policy.
To transform Pakistan rapidly into a modern, industrial
society the Pakistan Muslim League (N) will extend in
addition to existing tax holiday facilities a complete
tax holiday to all new industries for the first three
years after they go into production, to promote a major
explosion in industrial investment and employment.
Industrial growth is essentially linked with the development
of infrastructure facilities. We pledge to introduce immediate
measures to remove existing imbalances by adopting the
following specific measures:
· Provide the full energy needs of an expanding
industrial sector through maximum exploitation of domestic
sources of energy namely coal, gas and hydro to reduce
the country's dependence on imported energy, combined
with measure for the conservation of energy and more efficient
use of energy.
· Provide improved means of communications including
telecommunications and port facilities to meet the growing
needs of our industry.
· Improve the transportation systems in major industrial
zones and urban centers and complete the network of motorways
initiated by the PML(N) government in the 1990's.
· Chambers of Commerce and Industry will be encouraged
to develop industrial zones in suitable locations with
access to as for electricity generation.
· Industrial estates, equipped with electricity,
gas, telephone, and sewerage will be developed, especially
in backward areas and along the motorways, for the convenience
of domestic and overseas investors. Efforts will be
made to put in place standard factory buildings ready
for occupation, without any waiting period. Multinational
companies with expertise in the field will be invited
to develop infrastructure facilities in collaboration
with local companies.
· Streamline the procedure for industrial sanctions
and other facilities required in line with the principle
of "one window facility".
· Improve the system of industrial credit and
enable land owners to borrow funds on the basis of the
market value of agricultural land and rural property.
17.
Women
In Islam, women enjoy place of honor and dignity that
is unparallel in history. The talents of both men and
women are acknowledged equally in Islam. It is for the
same reason that acquiring knowledge has been ordained
for both equally. PML-N shall:
- Ensure respect, dignity, and protection granted by Islam
to women.
- Promote participation of women in national development
and their social, political and economic empowerment.
- Give preference to women teachers in primary education.
- Promote female education and health care programs to
overcome gender gaps.
- Effective representation of women in all key policy/decision
making bodies shall be ensured.
- Special legislation on violence against women and child
abuse shall be enacted.
- Micro credit for female borrowers will be expanded substantially
as a part of the process of their empowerment.
18.
Youth
Youth is Pakistan's future. More than 52 percent of
our population is less than 19 years of age. PML-N believes
that it is the youth, which can change the destiny of
the nation.
- Youth training program shall be started to create
100,000 positions for apprenticeship in trade and industry.
These opportunities shall be created in collaboration
with the private sector.
- Self-employment loans shall be extended to those who
complete training/apprenticeship.
- Inter-province visits of youth shall be organized.
- Youth shall be provided special sports facilities
in all educational institutions.
- Anti-addiction campaign shall be launched to stop
youth from drugs abuse.
19. Labour
No economy can prosper without fair and equitable treatment
of its work force. PML-N developed a Labour friendly
policy during its earlier tenure. It shall pay special
attention to the following measures:
- Safety at work and proper compensation for industrial
injuries shall be legislated.
- Total prohibition of child labour through effective
monitoring and strict enforcement of law shall be ensured.
- Laws against bonded labour and unpaid labour shall
be strengthened and effectively enforced.
- Quality of labour force shall be improved through
technical training and apprenticeship.
- Parks / community centers shall be developed near
labour colonies.
- Incentives shall be given to employers for offering
scholarships for the talented children of workers.
- The minimum wage for workers will be enhanced to Rs.5000
per month and the role of collective bargaining agents
will be made more effective keeping in view the relevant
ILO Conventions.
20.
Minorities
Minorities are an integral part of our nation as announced
by the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali
Jinnah. An Islamic society is obliged to protect the
social, religious, and economic interests of minorities.
PML-N shall steadfastly guard these interests and ensure
their absolute and fundamental rights of freedom, security,
equal opportunity, and equality before law.
- A commission shall be set up to look into complaints
of religious discrimination.
- Scholarships for higher education shall be offered
for talented children of minorities from low income
families.
- Minorities shall be integrated in the mainstream of
national development through active participation at
different levels.
21.
National Security and Foreign Policy
The independence and sovereignty of the country and
the freedom of its people will always be the supreme
guiding principle in the conduct of the country's foreign
policy. It will, therefore, be formulated and executed
in a manner to strengthen the country's sovereignty
as well as to ensure the well-being of its citizens.
To this end, the highest priority would be accorded
to strengthening the nation's defenses, while promoting
peace and stability in the country and the region.
Pakistan succeeded in acquiring nuclear and missile
capability in the teeth of stiff opposition from outside
powers. This is a trust of the people of Pakistan and
we remain committed to preserve, protect and enhance
it. No proposal or initiative would ever be considered
if it compromises, weakens, reduces or diminishes this
capability.
While actively supporting all UN and global initiatives
for curbing the menace of international terrorism, Pakistan
must seek to promote a just and fair international political
and economic order, based on the Charter of the United
Nations UN and the principles of peaceful co-existence.
Every effort would be made to resolve the issue of Jammu
and Kashmir, in accordance with the provisions of the
relevant UN resolutions and in consonance with the aspirations
of the people of the territory for their inherent right
of self determination.
A peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues with
India, in a spirit of fairness and equity would be accorded
special priority by the Party.
Unity and solidarity amongst the member states of the
Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) would be promoted
and efforts made to strengthen the effectiveness and
credibility of the organization. Special attention will
be accorded to strengthening relations with the brotherly
Islamic states, given our historic commitment to promoting
fraternal relations with them.
China has been a time tested friend of Pakistan. Every
effort would be made to strengthen and enhance this
relationship, so as to make it truly strategic, by imparting
greater substance and depth to it.
The proposed Cabinet Committee on Defense and National
Security will be fully utilized to establish political
and civilian control over foreign policy. The foreign
policy will be re-oriented in such a manner that there
is greater commercial and economic content in our ties
with friendly powers.
As a developing, non-aligned country, Pakistan's foreign
policy shall endeavor to strengthen its relations, particularly
in the economic sector, with other developing countries
of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Special measure would be taken to promote the global
trading regimes, with emphasis on protecting the interests
and requirements of developing countries.
22. Our Vision for the Future
Pakistan today stands at a cross road. The beginning
of twenty first century marks a new landmark in the
history of human civilization. If we act together, a
new history can be written. It is time to look forward
and harness the nation's positive energies. The Pakistan
Muslim League (N) will seek national reconciliation,
national dialogue, and national consensus on the future
agenda for Pakistan. PML(N) believes that besides politicians,
the judiciary, the bureaucracy, businessmen, media,
professionals, ulema, farmers, workers, youth, women,
and civil society are stake holders of Pakistan's future.
PML(N) possesses both the experience and competence
to steer the country towards economic prosperity. It
will seek broad based consultation and participation
of all sectors of society in implementing its vision
for creating a society with democratic institutions,
the rule of law and prosperity for all, regardless of
gender, religion, region, or language. This is our "Pledge
with the Nation".
The
Manifesto Committee
The Policy Planning Committee (Think Tank) of PML(N)
served as the Manifesto Committee for the preparation
of this Manifesto:
1.
Mr. Sartaj Aziz Chairman
2. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal Member
3. Senator Mehtab Ahmad Khan Member
4. Senator Sadia Abbasi Member
5. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA Member
6. Mr. Parvez Malik, MNA Member
7. Rana Tanwir Hussain Member
8. Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan Member
9. Sultan Ali Chaudhry Member
10. Khawaja Qutbuddin Member
11. Mr. Siddiqueul Farooque Member
12. Mr. A.Z.K. Sherdil Member
13. Mr. Saeed Mehdi Member
14. Mr. Tariq Fatemi Member
15. Mr. Farogh Naveed Member
16. Mr. Ghafoor Mirza Member/Secretary
|
