Those hoping for miracle should wait: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the elections would be held in 2013 and told those waiting for miracle to wait till their turn come, News reported.
He was addressing the oath taking ceremony of Lahore Press Club officials here today. Smaller provinces demand autonomy and if such demands were fulfilled earlier, country would not have been broken, the prime minister said.
“The PPP-led government has extended unprecedented freedom to the press which was not given by any government in the past,” he said speaking at the ceremony at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.
He said PPP governments had always provided freedom to all in the country without discrimination and had never imposed restrictions on media institutions.
Acknowledging the role of journalists against dictatorial and autocratic regimes in the country, he said their sacrifices for the freedom of expression and social liberties had paved the way for rejuvenated democracy in the country.
He said there was close similarity between PPP struggles for the restoration of democracy and media’s campaign for freedom of expression in the country.
Gilani said that the government had fulfilled its commitment by cancelling all ‘black laws’ of the dictator, which were imposed to curtail media freedom.
He said the amendments, introduced in the PEMRA Ordinance-2002 and Press Laws-2007 had been revoked and no hurdle in the freedom of expression would be tolerated.