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Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf once again assured the incoming new coalition government of his full support as he addressed a grand military parade marking Pakistan's national day here Sunday.
In his first address as civilian head of state to annual Pakistan Day parade since stepping down as army chief in November last year, Musharraf said, "an era of real democracy has begun in the country".
He expressed the hope that the new government would bring political stability; sustain economic development and fight the scourge of extremism and terrorism.
"I extend my full support to the new government," said the president, who is due to administer oath tomorrow to the new prime minister at the presidency.
The success of the candidate of Pakistan People's Party Makhdoom Yousuf Raza Gilani in the election today at the National Assembly is a foregone conclusion.
A major partner of PPP, the Pakistan Muslim League-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has continued to demand Musharraf's resignation following the crushing defeat of his political allies in the February elections.
Attired in off-white traditional civilian dress, the president reviewed the parade and took salute from the marching columns of the three services.
Besides an impressive display of missiles and other weaponry, the event included a fly-past by the air force in which JF Thunder fighter aircraft built in collaboration with China also took part.
Efforts
Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majeed, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Afzal Tahir, First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf and military and senior officials attended the ceremony.
Musharraf spoke about his efforts to put the country on the democratic path after seizing power in a bloodless coup in October 1999.
"We laid the foundations of real democracy in the past eight years and put Pakistan on the path of progress and development," he said.
He expressed the hope that the upcoming new elected governments at the Centre and in the provinces would work to take Pakistan forward on the road to progress.
The president lauded the caretaker government and the Election Commission for holding free, fair, transparent elections.
He greeted the nation on Pakistan Day, recalling that on this day in 1940 a resolution was passed in Lahore under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leading to the emergence of independent Pakistan seven years later.
The president said the country's independence had been vigorously guarded for the past 60 years and it would continue to be protected.
He praised the Pakistan Army and said it was not only a guardian of the geographical borders of the country but also protected its people in emergencies like earthquakes and floods, besides fighting the menace of terrorism.
Musharraf said Pakistan had no aggressive designs against anyone. "Our military strategy is of defensive deterrence, but it is our belief that defence and security can only be attained through strength and never through weakness," he said.
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