Unpopular decisions needed despite political loss: Zardari

Zardari has said that the government will have to take unpopular and bold decisions to pull the country out of present crises. He expressed these views in a question-answer session with a panel of senior journalists from The News-Jang at his 5th floor official meeting room at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here on Saturday. President Zardari recounted his major achievements during his first 45 days in office as uniting the federation, undertaking a remarkably important official tour to China and taking on board the people of Pakistan and ANP on the war on terror. On taking unpopular decisions and overcoming the power crisis, he said Pakistan might be going for new technology-based power plants. He, however, said the first step the government would be taking to save energy would be to replace more than 10 million bulbs with free-of-cost energy savers with lower voltage and more light. “The protests against high tariff rates are urban-based and we have to take unpopular decisions,” said Zardari, who invited all and sundry with financial and economic expertise to help the nation by providing it input. He brushed aside any possibility of mid-term polls adding democracy will progress in the spirit of Charter of Democracy. “There is not even a remotest chance of mid-term polls,” he declared. He said the IMF is not for filling in a begging bowl but an institution to correct a wrong. “What to talk about Pakistan, Sweden has also recently approached the IMF to save its economy and keep its financial health as robust as possible. “When per barrel cost of oil shoots up to $147, it would generally hit us.”He said the in-camera parliament session has led all to evolve a consensus on national security strategy and its outcome would be far-reaching. He said the Balochistan issue would also be debated in parliament. About Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Zardari said that we would invite them to join politics and contest the Senate elections.