Prime Minister (PM) Raja Pervaiz on Sunday said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had always stood against dictators and rendered numerous sacrifices for democracy and the rights of the people.
Addressing a mammoth rally, Ashraf said democracy in Pakistan was solely the outcome of the sacrifices given by late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, adding, “the date of December 16 is a reminder for us to stop committing mistakes for the sake of Pakistan’s solidarity and to strengthen the democracy which demands we establish politics of love and refrain from creating hatred against each other which can otherwise shake the solidarity of Pakistan”.
He said the present party policies were based on his dictates, adding that the nation saluted the sacrifice of the Bhutto family who taught the people to love Pakistan and the tradition was being carried forward by the current party leadership.
He said the PPP was the only political party supporting the cause of the poor and downtrodden, adding that in continuation of the cause of providing service to the people of Pakistan, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would address the workers in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh on December 27 to pledge support to the masses.
He said the nominees in the case of Asghar Khan were branding the party traitors and security risk, while the people nominated in the Asghar Khan case should keenly read the lines of the decision of apex court before pointing their fingers elsewhere. He referred to the statement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman about massive corruption being carried out in the country which was received positively by the politicians of Punjab, but on the next day when the NAB chairman again stated that 65 percent of corruption was being carried out by Punjab government, the same politicians declared him a big liar. Moreover, he said that the PPP by virtue of amendments corrected the constitution, made transparent arrangements to hold transparent and fair elections, gave liberty to the media and made judiciary independent. Besides this, Zardari had given up his powers in favour of the parliament, he added.
The PM further said that the current government had increased the salary of employees by 150 percent, while also raising the wages of workers and wheat price to support the tillers. He said that Pakistan was importing 26 lac tons of wheat five years back, while today it was exporting wheat to other countries and earning a handsome foreign exchange. He also said that the country was fighting against terrorism and the firm stand taken by the government in this regard was enabling girls like Malala Yousafzai to raise their voice against terrorism.
Meanwhile, the PM said that the development work carried out during the PPP’s five years of rule was evidence of the government’s policy towards development and progress, adding that no such major development projects had been ever undertaken in the country during the last 60 years. He said the PPP government provided support to over seven million poor families under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) which would continue when the PPP would come into power after the next general elections. Talking about Kasur, the PM said this was the land of Sufi saints and the loving people of the area had always sided with principled politics. He further said that the people of Kasur had always supported democracy. Later the PM announced to establish Bhule Shah International University in Kasur and gave his approval to all the development projects which were highlighted by the local parliamentarians and workers of the PPP.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the meeting venue, he inaugurated the establishment sub-regional and Sui gas regional office in Kasur. Talking about the Kasur Ganda Singh Wala border, he said the matter would be taken up with the Indian government per agenda.
The rally was also addressed by former MNA Manzoor Ahmed, Muhammad Hussain Dogar, Ashfaq Kamboh and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo.
The PM was accompanied by Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar Zaman Qaira, Samsam Bukhari, Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, Tanvir Ashraf Qaira, Raja Riaz and others.
