Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday received an unprecedented unanimous vote of confidence and spelled out a 100-day short-term roadmap to begin tackling huge political and economic problems confronting the country.

Gilani announced several steps to restore public confidence in democratic principles and institutions and vowed to establish supremacy of Parliament by referring all vital issues for debate and decision-making at that forum.

In his acceptance speech, Gilani touched important issues including provincial autonomy, terrorism, independence of judiciary, media freedom, release of political prisoners, relations with neighbours, Kashmir, austerity, energy shortage, promotion of agriculture and reform in tribal areas.

Gilani pledged his government to a policy of promotion of friendly relations with India and resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue. He hoped that the two countries would move forward to more concrete steps that mere confidence building measures in order to resolve the Kashmir issue.

He announced an end to 11-year ban on student and labour unions. The 2001 labour law impinging on the rights of workers and labour unions enshrined in the UN agreements would be repealed. Cases of all political detainees would be reviewed to release them.

Gilani reaffirmed commitment to provincial autonomy and promised to terminate within one year the concurrent list for legislation in which federal government had encroached upon jurisdiction of provinces. He reiterated Asif Zardari’s apology to the people of Balochistan for all excesses meted out to them in the past and promised to end their sense of alienation.

The Prime Minister announced abolition of the infamous Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) of the colonial area in the tribal areas.

A truth commission would be established to redress the grievances of those who became target of state terror and coercion. Another commission will create job opportunities to solve unemployment problems.

Gilani committed his government to full media freedom, promised to repeal all laws and regulations promulgated on November 3 to curb media freedom, introduce a genuine access to information law and removing other impediments in the working of free media.

He pledged to end the “VIP” culture and discourage ostentation and extravagance. The expenditure on Prime Minister House will be cut by 40 per cent, a measure that will also be followed by all government departments. The ministers will travel in 1600 CC cars and economy class during air travel.

Gilani announced that the National Accountability Bureau would now operate under supervision of the judiciary instead of the executive to ensure that it is not used against political opponents.

Meanwhile, the new federal cabinet comprising 24 members besides the Prime Minister will take oath on Monday, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, senior leader of the PML-N said here.

Nisar, who is tipped to be senior minister in the cabinet, said nine members of his party will also take oath which will be administered by President Pervez Musharraf despite their reservation about the legality of Musharraf's presidency. The PPP will get eleven seats in the cabinet, ANP two, JUI and tribal areas one each.

Sydney/London, March 29
People switched off lights across the world on Saturday, dimming buildings, hotels, restaurants and bars to show concern at global warming.

Up to 30 million people were expected to switch off their lights for 60 minutes by the time “Earth Hour” — which started at 8 p.m. in Suva in Fiji and Christchurch in New Zealand — completed its cycle westwards.

More than 380 towns and cities and 3,500 businesses in 35 countries signed up for the campaign that is only in its second year after it began in 2007 in Sydney alone.

“Earth Hour shows that everyday people are prepared to pull together to find a solution to climate change. It can be done,” said James Leape of WWF International, which was running the campaign.

“But we need to harness some of the cooperative spirit we’ve seen with Earth Hour to find a global solution.”

Lights at Sydney’s Opera House and Harbour Bridge were switched off and Australians held candle-lit beach parties, played poker by candlelight, floated candles down rivers and dined by candlelight.

In Bangkok some of the city’s business districts, shopping malls and billboards went dark, although streetlights stayed on. One major hotel invited guests to dine by candlelight and reported brisk business.

In Copenhagen the famed Tivoli Gardens said it would also switch off along with the City Hall.

In Britain, some 26 town and city councils signed up to switch off non-essential lights as did several historic buildings including Prince Charles’ private residence Highgrove House, London City Hall, Winchester Cathedral and even the Government Communication Headquarters radio monitoring station.

And in the age of the Internet, the UK arm of search engine Google too turned its home page black ahead of time with the message: “We’ve turned the lights out. Now it’s your turn.”

Floodlights were also to go out at landmarks in Budapest, including its castle, cathedral and parliament, and about 100 statues and museums. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

World's oldest sound recording found
Palo Alto (US): American audio historians have discovered a recording of the French folk song "Au Clair de la Lune" that was recorded on April 9, 1860 - almost two decades before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. The team believes that their discovery is the oldest recognisable recording of the human voice. The 10-second clip was originally recorded by a phonautograph. — PTI

Hindu monks serve notice
LONDON: Hindu monks served legal papers on Britain’s leading animal welfare charity in protest against the slaughter of a sacred cow. Gangotri, a 13-year-old Belgian Blue-Jersey cross, was put down by the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals) on December 13 last year in what the charity called a “mercy killing”. The cow was now recovering under veterinary care. — UNI

BA cancels flights
LONDON: British Airways cancelled more than a 100 flights over the weekend following a chaotic opening of its new $8.6 billion terminal at London’s Heathrow airport. It said it had cut 66 short-haul and European flights today and would cancel 37 more tomorrow after Terminal 5’s grand opening on Thursday descended into chaos. The launch of the terminal building has been a public relations disaster for the carrier that once styled itself the “world’s favourite airline”. — Reuters