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Foreword
In
Pakistan’s chequered history no elected government has been allowed to complete
its term of office. Frequent military interventions have done colossal damage to
the integrity and solidarity of the country. As a consequence,
Pakistan has failed to achieve political stability, sustained economic growth and
a clear sense of national solidarity. The 1973 constitution, which has the consensus
of all the federating units, has been amended by the autocratic rulers beyond recognition.
What we see today is continuing military rule, with a façade of democracy.
The three main pillars
of a sustainable democratic order are: a sovereign parliament, an independent judiciary
and a free and fair electoral process. All the three institutions have been greatly
weakened in the past 8 years:
- The Parliament had been denied its due role in policy
making and virtually reduced to a rubber stamping body. It could not even discharge
its constitutional responsibility of electing a Prime Minister.
- The unconstitutional
removal of the Chief Justice of Pakistan in March 2007, and the forced retirement
of 55 additional Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts after 3 November
2007, dramatically exposed the game plan of Military rulers to have a pliable judiciary
that will sanctify the continuation of Musharraf’s rule under a civilian façade.
- The manner in which the general elections of 2002
and local body’s polls of 2005 were manipulated and rigged has virtually destroyed
the credibility of the electoral process in
Pakistan.
In these 8 years,
Military has taken control of almost all the vital economic sectors of the country
and most important positions are now occupied by retired or serving army officers.
The process of accountability has been focused on politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats.
Army has been deliberately kept out of its purview. In fact the National Accountability
Bureau has been blatantly used as a political tool to coerce turn-coat politicians
into playing second fiddle to military ascendancy in matters which are purely civilian
in a democratic country. Curbs on democratic freedom and the media remain draconian.
To justify the military take over and forestall the emergence of strong political
alternatives, the military regime has been vigorously pursuing a systematic campaign
to malign politics and politicians and divide and pressurize all the mainstream
opposition parties.
The military government
has totally failed to achieve any of the objectives announced as its seven (7) point’s
agenda in October 1999. There has been a sharp increase in prices, unemployment
and poverty. Governance and law and order are at their worst in
Pakistan ’s history. Car thefts, burglaries, bank robberies, political and sectarian
violence have increased by the day ever since the military government has taken
control of the country. The centre – province relationships have been deteriorating
especially on the issue of water and distribution of financial resources under NFC.
Baluchistan has reached a point where an armed confrontation is taking place between
the Federation and the local leadership. Because of the mishandling by the present
government and the brute use of force, there is great disillusion in the NWFP and
the Tribal areas.
The present government
has explicitly recognized that the income disparities in the country have increased
during the last few years which are sad news for the people of the country. Although
the consumption inequality has increased both in urban and rural areas, the inequalities
in urban area have grown at a higher rate. Sectors like rural development, rural
electrification and low cost housing performed dismally and have shown declining
trends. The inequality reflects distortions in the availability and quality of health,
education and infrastructure services. These are alarming trends. The poor in the
country are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. The reversal of this
trend is only possible through a change in approach in policy formulation and implementation
and by making the reduction of the rich-poor divide as integral part of a new policy
thrust.
In these 8 years
the government was a one-man show and the President-cum-Chief of Army Staff wanted
to perpetuate his hold on power but was forced by the political opposition and a
civil society movement led by the lawyers to shed his uniform. In the aftermath
of 9/11, the only superpower patronized this set-up because it was fighting
America ’s proxy war on more than one front. The backlash of this plan is now mounting
in the form of terrorist activities and bomb blasts in different parts of
Pakistan .
People
in
Pakistan are losing faith in the manifestos of most political parties because they
are disillusioned by the actual implementation of such Manifestos. But by God’s
grace, PML(N) was able to implement its Manifestos to a substantial degree during
its two terms from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 to September
1999, despite many internal and external difficulties. If PML(N) governments had
been allowed to complete its 5 years tenures, the country would not be in such dire
straits as it is today.
It is in this scenario that PML(N) would like to unfold various facets of its manifesto
keeping in view the Charter of Democracy. Top of the agenda will be a coherent strategy
to restore the Judges who refused to take oath under the P.C.O. promulgated on 3
November 2007. This will also ensure a sustainable democratic order free of military
interference. It is equally necessary to ensure a free media as the fourth pillar
of a democratic system, after a sovereign legislature, an independent judiciary
and a law abiding executive.
The lawyer’s movement that started in March 2007, to uphold
the rule of law has been transformed by the powerful media and other segments of
the civil society, into an historic battle for fundamental rights and genuine democracy.
The forthcoming elections provide a golden opportunity to win this battle by voting
for parties striving for democracy and the noble objectives listed above and rejecting
those that only provide a civilian façade to military rule.
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Quaid
PML(N)
14 December 2007
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.
b
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:
-
Mr. Sartaj Aziz
Chairman
-
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal
Member
-
Senator Mehtab Ahmad Khan
Member
-
Senator Sadia Abbasi
Member
-
Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA
Member
-
Mr. Parvez Malik, MNA
Member
-
Rana Tanwir Hussain
Member
-
Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan
Member
-
Sultan Ali Chaudhry
Member
-
Khawaja Qutbuddin
Member
-
Mr. Siddiqueul Farooque
Member
-
Mr. A.Z.K. Sherdil
Member
-
Mr. Saeed Mehdi
Member
-
Mr. Tariq Fatemi
Member
-
Mr. Farogh Naveed
Member
-
Mr. Ghafoor
Mirza
Member/Secretary
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