Zardari lauds Pak govt for completing tenure for 1st time

, March 15: Pakistani President

on Thursday said that the completion of a five-year term by the

People's Party (

)-led government and a peaceful transition from one democratic set-up to another would be a new achievement of the dispensation.

Zardari said this during a dinner he had hosted for outgoing Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, the latter's predecessor Yousuf Raza Gilani and some ministers and parliamentarians.

"The completion of the tenure of the present government and a peaceful transition from one democracy to another would be another major achievement of the present dispensation," Zardari was quoted as saying in an official statement.

The PPP-led government completed its tenure on Friday and it is the first ever time that an elected government has lasted its full term in that country. The PPP is currently negotiating with the main opposition PML-N on choosing a caretaker prime minister who will lead the interim set-up to oversee the polls, expected to be held in May.

The Pakistani President, the chief of the PPP, said the government had faced serious challenges during its tenure, from militancy, economic issues, natural disasters and energy crisis. It also had to fight challenges thrown by the judiciary and army.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified Gilani as the PM for not initiating proceedings against Zardari on the question of corruption and nearly cornered the current PM recently.

Zardari said it was the government's credit that it succeeded in keeping together all political forces on issues of national interest even as it dealt with challenges.

The dinner was also attended by the President's sister Faryal Talpur, Maqdoom Amin Fahim, Rehman Malik, Khursheed Shah, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, among others.

OneIndia News

(with PTI inputs)