Days of manipulating elections over: Raja

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday said the days of manipulating the elections were over and the Pakistan People's Party will sweep the forthcoming general election, as it has the overwhelming support of the masses. Addressing a huge public gathering here at Pakistan's textile hub, the Prime Minister said whenever there is free, fair and transparent election, the PPP succeeds with an overwhelming majority.
Citing the historic verdict in the Asghar Khan case by the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister said it was an eye-opener and showed how the results were manipulated in the past. He said the case has unveiled many things and the workers need to study it to be aware of those who try to manipulate the results. He said today there is no more fake voters and said the 100,000 bogus votes of all constituencies of Faisalabad were now a thing of past.
The Prime Minister said the Pakistan People's Party has done solid work to back it in the forthcoming election. "We are helping 7 million households through the Benazir Income Support Program, across the country," he said and announced that the program will be increased four times, if the party succeeds in the next polls. Hundreds of enthusiastic workers of the party, dancing to the tune of drums, arrived at the venue - Iqbal Stadium, that was decorated with huge tri-colour banners, portraits of the leaders and flags of the Pakistan People's Party and Peoples Youth Organisation.
The Prime Minister said despite the claims of the opponents the PPP will succeed in the end, as it took practical measures and did unprecedented development work to serve the masses and did not rely on mere rhetoric. The Prime Minister said the government has more than doubled the salaries of government employees and the workers and said the support price of wheat has also been raised from around Rs 600 to Rs 1200 per 40 kg in the past four years and said it will bring prosperity.
The gathering was also attended by Governor Punjab Latif Khosa, PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo, Raja Riaz, Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, Minister of State for Science and Technology Raheela Baloch. The Prime Minister said there was a time when everyone believed that it was impossible to get rid of the dictatorial regime of former President Pervez Musharraf. However, it was the political acumen of President Asif Ali Zardari that led to the ouster of the dictator. He said it also goes to the credit of President Asif Ali Zardari that all the powers of the President of Pakistan were handed over to the parliament, as he followed the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, and made it supreme.