950805

Govt waiting for

MQM team to continue

dialogue: Benazir

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that the government is waiting for MQM (Altaf Group) team to continue dialogue for political settlement of Karachi issue at the earliest possible.

Talking to media people after offering condolences with the family of veteran Muslim League leader the late Mian Mumtaz Muhammad Khan Daultana at Durand Road in Lahore on Saturday evening, she said that the government had started dialogue with MQM with open heart as it wanted to solve the Karachi issue and restore peace there.

She said that there could be give and take for sake of peace but pointedly stated that only their (MQM) demands could not be accepted.

She said that in dialouges, both sides should participate with large hearts with the sole intention of resolving the issue.

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said if MQM had some demands then the state also had demands and added that the state demands of the terrorists to lay down their arms and surrender. She said "there can be no peace in Karachi is politics of violence is allowed to continue".

The Prime Minister said that the government had entered dialogue with MQM with open heart and "dialogue mean and are intended for political settlement and certainly do not mean surrender on part of the government."

She said that both sides should come to the negotiation table in a spirit of give and take.

Replying to questions, the Prime Minister said that PDF alliance, which PPP had signed with PML (J) in October 1993, will continue till next general elections and even afterwards as the parties want the alliance to remain intact and gain strength. She said that if someone has complaints on any score then these differences should be sorted out mutually amicably within the coalition house.

She said that the government wants the alliance to flourish and is trying to take the coalition partners along and is moving ahead smoothly sorting out differences and bitter feelings mutually. She was asked to comment on moves to oust Chief Minister Mian Manzur Ahmad Wattoo and impending threats to PDF coalition governments at the national and Punjab levels.

The Prime Minister said "meetings do take place between politicians and there can be differences also but if the government and the opposition agree on some issues, they can meet as well".

She expressed her gratitude to ANP leader Begum Nasim Wali Khan for her fullest participation in the women parliamentarians moot at Islamabad last week.

Replying to queries, the Prime Minister said that she would indeed welcome unification of factions of Muslim League under the leadership of PML (J) President Hamid Nasir Chattha who is a democratic politician, has worked a great deal for restoration of democracy and contributed a lot towards political stability in Pakistan.

Asked about the impact of Karachi situation on the stock market, the Prime Minister said that she was happy to note that the stock market had gone up despite trouble in Karachi, though there were bearish and bullish trends prevalent in the market.

The Prime Minister in response to query about foreign investment said that foreign investment of 1.6 billion dollars was recorded in year 1994-95 alone against two billion dollars investment during the previous 20 years and added that memorandums of understanding were worth 20 billion dollars.

The Prime Minister will preside over a number of meetings, including the National Highway Council, at the State Guest House in Lahore on Sunday before returning to Islamabad in the afternoon after overnight stay in the provincial metropolis and holding talks on political situation with Governor Raja Saroop Khan, Chief Minister Mian Manzur Ahmad Wattoo, senior Provincial Minister Makhdoom Altaf Ahmad, PPP Punjab President Malik Mushtaq Ahmad Awan and others concerned on Saturday night and Sunday morning.