President Asif Ali Zardari delivered an address to the joint session of parliament, marking the beginning of the second parliamentary year of the current National Assembly. \u201cIt is my singular privilege as your president to address for the eighth time the beginning of the parliamentary year,\u201d Zardari said amid noisy sloganeering from opposition members. \u201cThis moment marks not only the continuation of our democratic journey but also provides us with an opportunity to review our progress and reaffirm our commitment to building a better future for Pakistan.\u201d \u201cAs we embark on this new parliamentary year, I urge this house in promoting good governance and political economic stability. \u201cOur people have pinned their hope on parliament and we must rise to the occasion,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is my first duty to remind you we need to work harder to strengthen our democratic system, restore public confidence in the rule of law, and put Pakistan on the road to prosperity.\u201d As protests by opposition members continued, President Zardari said: \u201cI would like to appreciate the government\u2019s efforts of putting the country on a positive path through economic growth. Our foreign exchange reserves have experienced a surge, there was a substantial increase in FDI and and the stock market also surged to a record high.\u201d The government has also reduced the policy rate from 22 to 12 per cent, and all other economic indicators have shown a healthy sign of improvement, he said. \u201cYou are aware that the population dynamics of our country have changed. A combination of factors presents challenges we must address. The high rate of our population growth along with strategic drift in our administrative machinery has increased governance issues manifold. \u201cIt is my considered opinion that this House should take its responsibilities seriously, and play its role in a real re-set of our governance and service delivery outcomes,\u201d the president said. \u201cAs far as the government is concerned, ministries too need to redefine their vision and objectives, and understand that pressing issues faced by the people of Pakistan have to be resolved within a certain time frame,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to deliver tangible benefits to restore the trust of the people in democratic institutions.\u201d The president went on to say: \u201cDemocracy needs give and take, and what better place to work on collective goals than this Parliament?\u201d \u201cAs elected representatives, you function as role models for the nation. As you go about your parliamentary business think beyond narrow goals. Think of the unity and consensus our country so desperately needs.\u201d \u201cI would urge all of you to empower our people, make decisions of national importance with consensus, encourage domestic and international investments for economic growth and job creation, foster social and economic justice, and ensure fairness and transparency in our system,\u201d he said. Zardari, who is serving as the country\u2019s president for the second time, has already addre\u00adssed the joint sitting of parliament seven times, including once during the present regime last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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