President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that 'political orphans had joined hands with political actors' to destabilise the representative government but they were doomed to be frustrated. The people of Pakistan will never let them succeed in their designs, the President said while addressing a public meeting here to distribute cheques among the poor under Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
Spokesperson to President Farhatullah Babar said the President Zardari also pledged to lift the poor and destitute from generational poverty trap through the BISP. The president formally launched a national programme under which each BISP beneficiary would be automatically insured at state expense, entitling heirs to receive Rs 100,000 after his or her death.
In the next phase, health insurance facility will also be extended to BISP beneficiaries to ensure free medical assistance, he announced. The President said PPP, which believed in democracy had rendered numerous sacrifices for the cause of democracy and would continue to strive for further strengthening of democratic institutions in the country.
He said political actors and orphans must realise that Pakistan was a country of 170 million people and not an organisation of an international bank, adding, "the PPP government has been formed by countrymen who are ready to foil any conspiracy against the democratic government".
The President said, "PPP has deep roots among the masses as the poor countrymen believe that its leadership had always struggled for their rights even while in power or while acting as opposition. Therefore, political actors and orphans should avoid hatching any conspiracy or make negative propaganda as all their efforts would be fruitless".
Zardari said power was part of politics but the PPP had the faith to strive for the masses without any discrimination. He said he was following the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who strived for restoration of democracy, struggled for rights of people, defended democracy and made the country stronger.
He said PPP fully believed in the slogan "Democracy is the best revenge" as Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto never taught about physical revenge against the opponents. "We are following the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and making the country strong by strengthening the democracy in the country," he said. He democracy is the name of science and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was the greatest scientist of this discipline, adding, the present party leadership was striving to accomplish task of a democratic and developed Pakistan, set by the party's great leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
He observed that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto sacrificed her life for the people of the country as she had the vision of a strong and democratic Pakistan where the people should get all their due rights at their nearest. "No leader or political party of the country possessed such record of sacrificing lives for the rights of the countrymen", he remarked. The sacrifices of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto made them immortal among the hearts of the masses and the present party leadership was continuing to accomplish their vision, he added.
The President vowed that the party's struggle for the rights of the people would continue. He said the government was striving to combat terrorism and save lives of the countrymen. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also lost her life in this war against terrorism and the government would continue to fight this menace till its complete elimination, he maintained.
In his speech, Zardari was critical of propaganda of those who were levelling allegations that the government is supporting feudalism in the country. By making such propaganda, these forces have forgotten that it was the PPP which brought the common workers to the parliament as it believed serving the common people of the country, he added.
Under Zamindari system, he added, the peasant is the shareholder of half crop production of the land, "this system does not support feudalism in the country". The President said he has transferred President's powers to the Parliament for strengthening democracy, adding, "the Parliament now can defend any undemocratic act against democracy". He pointed out that for the first time in the country's history, government intends to impose tax upon affluent people, to generate more revenues for the country. The generated revenues would be utilised for the rehabilitation of flood affected people, he added.
He said flood devastation has provided an opportunity of 'making a new Pakistan', and the present government would accomplish this great task. People of the country would soon witness a new, developed and well-planned Pakistan under which all cities, villages, towns and streets would be built in a developed manner, Zardari said. Earlier, the President visited a camp set up for providing relief to the flood victims and distributed Watan Cards among the affected families. He expressed satisfaction over the provision of facilities to 143 affected families residing in the camp. As many as 2,000 Watan cards have already been distributed among the flood victims belonging to Thatta and Badin.