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Australian High Commissioner Ms Zorica McCarthy Meets Minister Sherry Rehman
Pakistan’s Federal
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said the smooth process
of the recent presidential election and the overwhelming political support
pledged to President Asif Zardari mark an important step towards the country’s
successful transition to democracy. She expressed these views while talking to
Australian High Commissioner, Ms Zorica McCarthy who called on her at the
Ministry’s office at Islamabad. Sherry Rehman said the government has a
responsibility to follow the public mandate for the development of the country
and the political leadership has demonstrated support for government’s move to
resolve current challenges faced by the nation.
“There is a consensus between all political forces on all important national
issues and we are committed to ensuring that our policies and actions reflect
public interest and public will. The combination of a consensus government and a
democratically-elected President will create unity and space for necessary
structures for the implementation of a broad national agenda for development of
the country,” she added.
Pakistan has an important position in the global war on terror, she said and
added “there is a need for all stakeholders in this war to show consideration
for the country’s fundamental realities and challenges as Pakistan has made the
most important contribution towards achieving the objectives of this war.”
Describing political and economic stability as the priority area of the
government, Ms Sherry Rehman said all government measures towards this end are
guided by its resolve to strengthen and empower institutions and improve their
capacity for service delivery. “On economic front, we are fixing imbalances in
agricultural production, exports, trade balance and budget deficit while on the
political side, the government’s message for reconciliation has opened doors for
communication and dialogue between all political fractions,” she said. The
government is also committed to follow a representative system so that all
political entities are allowed space to contribute in shaping the future
direction of the country’s policies, and progress, the Minister said. Minister
Sherry Rehman thanked the Australian Government for the invitation to Pakistani
Leaders for official visit to Australia.
