Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that dictatorships are covert attacks on survival of Pakistan and that they are fully devoted to follow its founder’s mission and shine in future as a model democratic Muslim nation.
In his message on the occasion of International Day of Democracy on Monday, he said Egyptian or Bangladesh models were the perils haunting the minds of those who lack foresights. Unable to attract people’s aspiration thus sure not being chosen by the masses, these elements weaken democracy and hit at its roots through not-so-secret conspiracies, he added.
He said Pakistan lost its popular and charismatic elected prime ministers Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and thousands of democratic workers in its war for democracy. “The Pakistanis have sacrificed more than many nations’ independence movements in their struggle for democracy. This shows their commitment and appetite form democratic order which ensures equal rights for every segment of the society,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said free, fair and transparent electoral system was the integral part of a democratic order for containing the loop-holes that allowed the undemocratic candidates and groups to steal the votes. The PPP has put into place a mechanism to induct a consensus caretaker government to conduct transparent elections. However, electoral reforms should be a continuous process till a fool-proof electoral system was in place, he further said.
Pointing out to the current crisis, he said, at this time unity of democratic forces was of the utmost importance. Terrorism and extremism were the major cancer infesting their country and predicting a dreadful future in case the people and the institution didn’t move forward in an integrated manner, the PPP chairperson stated.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed that truly democratic forces should not adopt violence for the demands as they never called for violence and raised “democracy is the best revenge” slogan even after martyrdom of their beloved leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
He said the best way to celebrate democracy in current situation was to look after Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan and the millions of people facing floods in Punjab, Sindh and Azad Kashmir by providing adequate relief and rescue to them. The PPP was playing its part and the rest should also follow the suit, he added.
The PPP chairperson said that democracy and dialogue survive together and stressed both should stay together for a brilliant future of Pakistan and its people.
