Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) on Thursday unveiled its electoral manifesto ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Annoucing the salient features of the manifesto at a press briefing here, PPPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim started off with his party's almost four-decade-old mantra, saying it contained the gist of the party's manifesto: 'Roti, Kapra aur Makan, Ilm, Sehat, Sab ko Kaam, Deshat Se Mehfooz Awam, Ooncha Ho Jamhoor Ka Naam' (Bread, clothing and shelter, education, health and employment for all, people protected from terrorism and maintaining the supremacy of democracy).
During the press cofnerece, he was flanked, among others, by PPPP Senior Vice-President Yousuf Raza Gilani, President's Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar, federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Defence Minister Syed Naveed Qamar and Azra Afzal Pechuho.
Fahim said that his party's manifesto was based on ground realities and "we make no promises for which we cannot find resources". He said that his party believed that national security should be bassed on 'human security first'. "Anyone governing Pakistan over the next 10 years (will have to face the effects of) global recession and regional security upheavals", he said, adding that they would also have to take tough fiscal, economic, security and governance decisions.
"In our manifesto, we propose seven core priorities: Ensuring Basic Needs, Empowerment of All citizens, Equitable and inclusive Growth, Infrastructure for the Future, New Social Contract, Protection of the People and engaging with the World as a Responsible Nation. These (values) will protect and empower the people of Pakistan, and we will initiate key programmes in the first 100 days at the federal and provincial levels to implement these core priorities," he said.
"We have always targeted food security, shelter, health care, education, jobs, labour protections and equal opportunity for all. Our globally acknowledged Family Planning and Primary Health Care programme delivered through the Lady Health Workers reaches out to 75 per cent of the rural population. We now commit to enhancing it to 100 per cent of rural areas and urban low income areas,"
Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the Beanzir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been focused on reducing vulnerability for those most at risk, reaching 18 per cent of our population already. He said to fight poverty, BISP monthly cash payments will be increased to 2,000 rupees per month. "Going forward we will provide health insurance to the poorest, through Waseela-e-Sehat. We will also enroll, educate and provide employment to our youth through Waseela-e-Rozgar and increase enrollment through Waseela-e-Taleem programmes,"
He said that the PPPP will commit more than 4.5 percent of GDP on education by the end of our next term. He added that curriculum reform will be pursued proactively to purge textbooks of hate speech. Shelters for children, such as those already provided by the Baitul Maal, will be replicated by provinces to decrease child labour and pull children into the schooling net, he added.
"We will increase minimum wages by up to 18,000 rupees per month by 2018. Labour representatives will get four seats in the National Assembly and two seats in each provincial assemblies, through legislation. We will give labour greater share in public enterprise through Benazir Stock Option Scheme. Housing will receive renewed impetus and the poor will be given priority with low-cost housing schemes launched through a transparent public-private partnership."
He said that we will provide a safety net for small depositors, "expand our banking services, enhance the SME sector in addition to extending crop insurance for the farm sector". "We will build Special Economic Zones, establish a Weaving City' and provide skills development to boost the textile industry. We will build our human resources by investing in manpower exports supported by training and vocational centres in all major cities."
"We will boost trade and build on creative currency swap agreements like those already executed with China and Turkey, to protect our currency." "We will use Nadra tax base to expand the tax net to 5 million people thereby increasing the tax to GDP ratio to 15 per cent by 2018. We have already brought total debt to within 60 per cent of GDP, and we will reduce government borrowing to bring the budget deficit to less than 4 per cent of GDP by 2017."
"No nation can prosper without investing in infrastructure for the future. For this purpose, we will ensure cheaper electricity by combining of hydel, coal, gas and renewable energy of up to 12,000 MW by the end of our next term." "We pledge to make Pakistan an energy corridor by implementing Iran Pakistan Pipe Line and TAPI." "We will invest in information technology to develop economic and social capital, create software parks, and expand telecommunications to meet development and financial imperatives for the young and the excluded."
The PPPP leader said that the National Counter-Terrorism Authority will be housed in the PM Secretariat to serve as a counterterrorism control room for all federal agencies. "While we continue to successfully resettle internally displaced persons dislocated by terrorist acts, we will use force where needed and initiate peace talks only when combatants accept the laws of the land, the writ of the state and the Constitution of Pakistan."
He said that his party would consider all encroachments on "our airspace and land as violations of our sovereignty, including drone attacks conducted by foreign governments". "We will continue to focus on regional peace, security and prosperity by building closer ties with our neighbours build on mutual respect. We will pursue the goal of stability and peace-building in the region as a specific policy priority without sacrificing our diplomatic and moral commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir." the PPPP leader said. Fahim said that our foreign policy will place emphasis on trade, energy and communications opportunities.
He said that the PPPP has transformed the country's foreign policy by basing it on public consent and transparency and will continue this process of external engagement based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and benefit. Partnerships have been renewed globally at difficult crossroads, such as with the US, and enhanced with old friends such as China."
"We have deepened our engagement with the EU and initiated a policy of sustained dialogue with neighbours such as Afghanistan, India and Iran. We will continue our outreach to the Central Asian Republics, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. We commit ourselves to a Pakistan at peace with itself, and at peace with the world."
"As we take Pakistan into its first constitutional transfer of power through elections, we resolve to take Pakistan into a future based on social justice, peace and prosperity for all." "We will provide women income generating opportunities through land entitlements, credit lines, and legal safeguards," He said that an Equality Commission will be set up to ensure a Fair Pay and Fair Job Policy across the board with special focus on women and minorities.
The National Commission on Minorities will be given statutory status and religious properties will be given protection, he said. "We will launch a youth employment initiative, the Peoples Employment Programme, and building new agriculture and livestock cooperatives powered through women."
"We will support our farmers by charging flat rates for electricity for tube wells and providing cheaper non-middlemen inputs, while leveraging existing agri-capital by legalising title deeds," "We have moved forward on our commitment to make a new province in South Punjab in accordance with the wishes of the people to be called the province of Bahawalpur Junoobi Punjab, and we pledge to take all other constitutional measures to make this province a reality."
"Through the next NFC award Sindh will receive a special grant for Karachi as Pakistan's only megacity, port and economic capital." Former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the PPP-led government had implemented 85 percent of its previous party manifesto and Charter of Democracy (CoD). Qmamar Zaman Kaira said that the government had regularised 250,000 employees. Senator Farahatullah Babar said that the PPP would also establish an independent Constitutional Supreme Court which would only deals cases relating to the Constitution.