Going abroad under a deal was also NRO: Gilani

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that NRO was in the thick of discussions these days but NROs had been the order of the day in the past, which were named as plea bargains, adding that going abroad under a deal was also NRO.
"In essence, there is no difference between both except that we are victimised while others are rewarded, Prime Minister Gilani stated this while addressing the PPP members of National and Provincial Assemblies, office-holders of PPP, PSF and PYO from Sargodha Division in the Prime Minister's House on Tuesday.
He said that Shaheed Zulifkar Ali Bhutto had brought about real revolution and even the towering politicians of the times could not stand in the way of people's empowerment. The prime minister said that PPP was the name of an ideology and constant struggle irrespective of whether it stayed in or out of power. He said that they came into power because of people, while others stepped into corridors of power through other means. "We play politics of principles whereas others change their principles for sake of power," he added.
The prime minister said, "It has been the tradition of PPP workers that they neither submitted themselves to coercion nor gave in to dictatorship. We faced the rigours of imprisonment. Shaheed Zulifkar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto bore the rigours imprisonment and also laid down their lives but their ideologies could not be eliminated. I was also jailed but did not deviate from the ideology of PPP," the prime minister added.
"Those who come and leave the party are opportunists. The workers of PPP are loyal to their ideology. I appeal to intellectuals to regard PPP and its leaders as an asset and protect them," he held. The prime minister said that the members of PPP could have differences among themselves but had no difference over the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
He said that it was not easy to struggle and do politics in this country. He revealed that 'angels' had come to him in jails and invite him and other members of PPP to join Musharraf. "These angels promised power in return for trading conscience but we never considered any back-door entry into power nor did we commit disloyalty. We believed that only the people were the source and repository of all powers."
The prime minister said that NRO was in the thick of discussions these days but NROs had been the order of the day in the past which were named as plea bargains. He said that going abroad under a deal was also NRO. "In essence, there is no difference between both except that we are victimised while others are rewarded," he added.
The prime minister said regretfully all dictators were portrayed as innocent, while all politicians are considered corrupt. He said that media has reported Musharraf's assets worth billions of rupees but no action would be taken against him on this.
The prime minister said that he had 124 MNAs in an Assembly of 342, which were 50 votes short of the simple majority. Despite this, he was the longest serving elected prime minister of the country by the grace of Allah Almighty. He said that this Assembly unanimously restored the Constitution of 1973, which an Assembly having 2/3rd majority could not do. This government, he said, considerably increased the resources of the federating units through NFC and gave identity to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The prime minister said that the democratic government implemented PPP's manifesto and "we can claim that we implemented 80 percent of charter of democracy as well." The prime minister directed Farzana Raja, Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme, to visit Sargodha Division on priority and address the problems of people there. He directed Wapda to end unscheduled load-shedding. He further said that IT centres would be established at the level of each Union Council in Sardodha Division, paving the way for creation of job opportunities for the people of the Division. The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Professional and Technical Training to make arrangements for professional training under NAVTEC in Sargodha Division.
PPP leader while speaking on the occasion reiterated their resolve that they would not hesitate to offer any sacrifice to accomplish the mission of Shaheed Zulifkar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Welcoming the Prime Minister's announcement to give distinguished position to the party workers, they said that they would give a red carpet welcome to the prime minister upon his arrival in Sargodha on January 21 where he would address historic public gathering.-PR