PPP has put its case in people’s court: Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said the Pakistan People’s Party had endured a blatant “campaign of slander”, but the party had decided to let the people judge the government’s performance.
“Let them judge whether we have been criticized justly or subjected to a campaign of slander,” Zardari said while addressing the 22nd APNS Award Ceremony at the Presidency on Monday.
He said they had decided not to be provoked and would not be provoked in the future, adding that “we have not taken any action against anyone and will continue with the same”. The president said we have extended the hand of friendship to all political forces, the media and all stakeholders and felt satisfied that this policy of the government had started paying dividends.
He said, “Our people are wise and let us not underestimate their wisdom. They can differentiate between freedom of expression and an organized campaign of slander and that the people respond in their own ways. They respond by placing their trust or withdrawing it.” The president said the party was proud of its record in giving the country a consensus constitution as for the first time in 25 years after independence. He said they had even been a subject to campaigns of character assassination and “now the prime minister and his family members are the latest target of a smear campaign”.
“Yousaf Raza Gilani has become a target ever since he raised the slogan of Seraiki province and ever since he stood by me. Before that, he was acceptable. But since he started supporting me and the Seraiki province, he has become unacceptable,” Zardari said. The president said the future of Pakistan was inextricably linked to continuation of democracy, adding that the PPP was a party of the masses and it had been proven time and again.
Salaries: Zardari urged the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) to look into the issues of payment of salaries to workers and journalists, besides implementation of the 8th Wage Board Award and the setting up of the 9th Wage Board.
Recalling his meeting with the APNS last year and the demands raised therein, Zardari expressed pleasure that the Press Council of Pakistan had since been set up and its chairman had been appointed. He said that it was now for the Press Council to move forward and move fast in consultation with all stakeholders, adding that “we look forward to the progress the council will be making in the months and years ahead”. Commenting on the second demand of the APNS, the president expressed pleasure that the Ministry of Information had taken the ownership of the Freedom of Information Act from the Cabinet Division and said that there was consensus to repeal the old ordinance of 2002, and bring in a new act of parliament.
The president said he believed in providing genuine access to information for the sake of transparency and accountability and called upon the Information Ministry to expedite finalization of the bill and its tabling in the parliament at the earliest.
Referring to the current energy issues, the president said the government was conscious of the problems that still needed to be resolved, including the energy crisis. “The energy crisis is the result of the circular debt that was left behind by the previous government,” the president, adding that during Benazir’s second government, Pakistan had surplus electricity and could even export power to India.