BAHAWALPUR – The PPP Bahawalpur secretary information demanded that the PML-N leadership should apologise to the nation and the president for ‘robbing’ the people’s mandate in 1990 elections.
“Today, the doors have been closed for rigging and no one can win elections on the basis of propaganda and agencies’ support,” said Muhammad Saleem Bhatti while talking to the media after the funeral prayers of the sister of Dr Ameen Basit, the former president of the Bahawalpur Press Club. “What has been depicted from the court verdict is just a small chapter of the condemnable propaganda as various other characters and their wrongdoings are yet to be exposed.
He said that the court verdict had vindicated Benazir Bhutto in her grave as all her statements proved true, including the formation of government by stealing the people’s mandate. The Information secretary said that the history had revealed the truth that the people’s mandate was robbed in 1990. On the other side, the “sinners” were terming it propaganda, he lamented. He said that some people were demanding establishment of a judicial or UN commission, while others claimed to accept the verdict but not probe through the Federal Investigation Agency.
“It is the court, not the government, which has called for investigation by the FIA,” he added. Bhatti recalled Benazir Bhutto’s statement of receiving threats from the agencies of killing her jailed husband if she refused to accept the then government. He said that the court verdict had proved the robbery of people’s mandate, but the status of the government formed on the basis of rigging was yet to be decided. Saleem Bhatti said that the PPP’s political adversaries had been coming to power using propaganda and unconstitutional tactics but the party had always banked on the people’s mandate despite conspiracies.
He said that Ishaq Khan toppled the Benazir government and his action was ratified by then chief justice of the Lahore High Court Rafiq Tarar, who in return was later made the president of the country. He also quoted the news items of 1990s containing BB’s statements on the establishment of a cell at the President House to rig the polls and IJI’s victory in 105 seats, several of them with 100 percent turnout, proved that fact.  Bhatti mentioned a white paper issued by Benazir Bhutto regarding the tactics used for rigging the polls and clarified that the PPP had nothing to do with Asghar Khan’s petition as it was moved after losing elections. Bhatti said that the PPP had no hesitation in tendering apology to the people for the mistakes, it had not committed.
“We apologised to the people of Balochistan for the mistakes committed by the dictators,” he added. The whole nation is surprised over the statement of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and others demanding establishment of a commission or investigations by the United Nations. To a question, he said that the action against elements involved in misusing the public money should be taken according to the Constitution and the law. Talking about the role of president he said, “The president is a part of the parliament, which is the product of political and democratic process,” he said and requested the opposition to respect the office of the President.
He said the PML-N laid basis of ‘Lotacracy’ or turncoats in the country and even now it was running the provincial government with the help of such politics. He asked as to why the politicians concerned were still in power when a judge had resigned after an audio recording proved his involvement in an anti-PPP conspiracy. He added that despite conspiracies, the people will support the PPP in the upcoming election.