Pakistan Will Return to Civil Government: Chief Executive

Visiting Pakistani Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf Thursday reaffirmed that Pakistan will return to civil government as soon as possible as his government has mounted a nation-building drive.

He made the remarks when he met the Pakistani community in Singapore on his last day here as part of his southeast Asian tour which has taken him to Malaysia and will take him to Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand.

Musharraf told more than 150 audiences that "We certainly want to return to civil government as soon as possible. But we do not want to bring back a system which will reverse whatever is good for the time. Therefore, we are to think what kind of structure is required for Pakistan."

He said there are four guiding principles his government is following and these are to let the people be the master of their own destiny, let the government functionaries be subordinate to the people, to give people financial and fiscal autonomy and to bring justice to society.

Touching the topic of democracy, he said his country will return to democracy and there are more democracy now than before. Musharraf said his government is working for strategic changes and structural reform and is determined to revive the economy by taking a series of measures to strengthen the economic foundation and broaden the bases of the economy which he said is suffering and poorly managed.

Musharraf called on Pakistanis overseas to contribute to the building of Pakistan, saying overseas Chinese can contribute to the building of China and overseas Pakistani can also contribute to the building of Pakistan.

Musharraf arrived in Singapore Wednesday for a two-day working visit and met with Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and President S.R. Nathan on the same day.

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