President chairs meeting of PPP senior leaders

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of some selected ministers and senior leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was held Monday night here in the Presidency under the Chairmanship of the Co-Chairman PPP President Asif Ali Zardari.

Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, A. Rehman Malik, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Syed Naveed Qamar, Mian Raza Rabbani, Senator Faisal Raza Abidi, Senator Sardar Ali, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Rukhsana Bangash, Fouzia Wahab, Fouzia Habib and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar were present during the meeting.

Earlier, the Prime Minister also called on the President. Current political situation was discussed during the meeting.

The Prime Minister briefed the meeting about his recent visits to Australia, Russia and Maldives and his meetings with the leadership of the host countries, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other dignitaries on the sidelines of the events.

Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting expressed satisfaction and felicitated the Prime Minister on his successful visits which helped to highlight Pakistan's role and position on important issues of regional as well as international outlook and also pleading Pakistan's case for SCO's full membership.

Noting Prime Minister's meeting with his Indian counterpart and other leadership of the SAARC countries on the sidelines of 17th SAARC summit, the meeting welcomed the desire of the countries in the region to move forward terming it hopeful for peace and stability of the region.

The meeting expressed the hope that forward movement in the process of promoting regional peace and liberalization of regional trade will continue uninterrupted.

The President also briefed the meeting about his visits to Jordan to attend World Economic Forum and to Istanbul to participate in 6th Trilateral Summit of Pakistan Afghanistan and Turkey hosted by the Turkish Government.

Spokesperson said that the meeting decided to call Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, Pakistan's Ambassador in Washington, to Islamabad to brief the country's leadership on a host of issues impacting on Pak-US relations and the recent developments.

Relief and rehabilitation measures taken so far for the rain-hit people in various parts of the country, especially in Sindh, were also discussed during the meeting.

Babar said that the meeting reposing full confidence in the leadership of Party Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusaf Raza Gilani expressed satisfaction over the party's policy of reconciliation and said that the policy will continue in the future as well.

During the meeting, President Zardari directed for Party mobilization and completing the Party's organizational structure.

He directed the MNAs to be present in their constituencies particularly in the flood affected areas and to address the issues of their people.

He directed that the party's manifesto be implemented and all measures be taken to provide relief to the common citizens.

The meeting also advised the Law Ministry and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to expedite finalization of NAB law.