The presidential spokesman has taken strongly berated to a malicious campaign initiated by some anti-democratic elements to tarnish the image of President Asif Ali Zardari. In this regard, the spokesman referred to some mysterious emails that were sent to different journalists, television channels and newspapers in which it had been claimed that the President mis-spelt a few words when writing his comments in the visitors' book during his visit to Mazar-e-Quaid on September 11.
The Spokesman made it clear that the President did not commit any such error while writing his views in the visitors' book and the message sent by the 'hidden hands' was totally fake and fabricated. This can also be verified from a national daily's report.
The Spokesman deplored the fact that in their sinister design to defame President Asif Ali Zardari, the anti-democracy elements even tinkered with the spelling of God, which showed that they could stoop to any level to denigrate the President.
The spokesman lamented the fact that the propaganda to lower the President's image started at a time when he was undertaking a very crucial visit to the US to discuss issues related to Pakistan's sovereignty, the war against terrorism and support to democracy in the country.
In this regard, the Spokesman also pointed to the misrepresentation of President Zardari's meeting with an important figure in the US by a section of the media. The Spokesman said the campaign to undermine President's visit to US was all the more reprehensible because it was aimed at jeopardising Pakistan's broader interests.
The spokesman added the propaganda, which in fact started after the nomination of Zardari as President, was clearly meant to create hurdles in Pakistan's march towards unadulterated civilian rule. The other aim of the elements averse to the strengthening of democracy in the country was to put spikes in the efforts of the President to address the country's central problems like poverty and terrorism.
Subjecting President Asif Zardari, who is symbol of federation, to venomous character assassination at such critical juncture when the country is at war against terrorists and is facing a grave economic situation, is not only wilful but also reflective of an unpatriotic mindset.
The people should take notice of such elements, who are bent upon derailing the process of consolidation of democracy and obstructing efforts to improve the economy and root out terrorism in the country.
The national media, too, the Spokesman stated, must show greater responsibility and expose the elements who through concoctions and fabrications were trying to distort the image of President Asif Ali Zardari. In view of pressures on Pakistan and the situation in the tribal areas, the need was to exhibit a higher level of maturity, the Spokesman stressed. He reiterated President Asif Ali Zardari's resolve to lead Pakistan to a prosperous future by overcoming all hurdles and challenges. Smear campaigns cannot deter him, he added.