Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was indeed an inspirational figure. It was he who helped the poor people of Pakistan and Pakistan itself in tough moments of history. He was a leader with a vision and conviction. He pioneered institutions such as Pakistan Steel Mills and others in different socioeconomic sectors across the country. As a result, the job market expanded, the economy boomed, the widening gulf of inequality between the haves and the have-nots was reduced and poverty was alleviated remarkably.
Had the incumbent elected rulers also pioneered such institutions, following in the footsteps of Shaheed ZAB, with the money being properly distributed among the destitute through the Benazir Income Support Program (BSIP) and other such programmes, in the agro-industry, the prevalent abject poverty would have been alleviated to a great extent, especially in Sindh where more and more people are falling into the abyss of poverty and committing suicides.
In order to alleviate poverty, it is proposed that the BISP may develop a mechanism so that the youth beneficiaries who will be given Rs. 300,000 should demonstrate how judiciously they will use the money. One such example could be that they either buy buffaloes individually or use that money collectively as group to launch a dairy farm at a place of their own choice.
HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad
