PPP to complete tenure: Zardari

NAUDERO President Asif Ali Zardari while addressing a huge public meeting and chanting his famous slogan of 'Pakistan Khapay has said that the PPP government will complete its five-year term and pledged to hold the next general elections in free, fair and transparent manner to further the cause of democracy. He made this pledge in his address on the eve of the 3rd death anniversary of his spouse, the slain leader Benazir Bhutto in Bhuttos native town here on Monday. Today I declare this from Gharhi Khuda Bux that your government will complete five years. And I also pledge that the (next) elections would be fair and transparent, so that nobody could raise a finger on it. This is our duty and we owe it, he said. Zardari said Pakistan Peoples Party would build a new Pakistan for the new generation. We have revived 1973 Constitution in its original shape and returned powers to the Parliament, so that no one could point finger to Bilawal in future, he said. Zardaris speech was delivered in a dialogue form (between him and the slain PPP leader) and he addressing Benazir Bhuttos ghost said, Your dream of hoisting the flag at the house of the Chief Justice has come true and the credit for that goes to the present government. He said the PPP-led government had started implementation of the vision of Benazir Bhutto by providing the NFC Award and other rights to the provinces. He reiterated that Benazir Bhutto had laid down her life for Pakistan and the government in accordance with her dream gave rights to the Baloch people by initiating Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package, which, though, is not sufficient for them yet is an initiative in the right direction. With regard to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the President said PPP would not take any revenge, as it believes that revival of democracy is the best form of revenge. He further said that there was recommendation by the Parliament; NA, Senate and the provincial assemblies regarding the UN probe into her death, which is though not satisfactory/sufficient, yet our government welcomed the report. The President said that the dictator Pervez Musharraf who did not provide adequate security to Benazir Bhutto was pulled out of the presidency by his government and Now he would never come to Pakistan. He advised the political actors to show responsibility as the PPP had nurtured democracy with blood and sacrificed lives of its leaders and workers. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari were also present in the meeting. Federal and provincial ministers, senators, parliamentarians, leaders and office-bearers of PPP from all parts of Pakistan attended the public meeting. The president spoke on various issues and challenges being faced by the country as well as the achievements of the PPP government during the last three years including the restoration of 1973 Constitution, NFC Award, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, restoration of judges, Benazir Income Support Programme, women empowerment measures, autonomy to Gilgit-Baltistan and giving identity to Pakhtuns by renaming the province as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. President Zardari highlighted that he visited China seven times to honour the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and earned a big achievement of 50,000 Mega Watt as promised by the China premier in his recent visit to Pakistan. The president also promised to bring the necessary legislation for the protection of women, as he referred to the 'Women Protection Bill, a legislation made controversial by the conservative circles including religio-political parties like the JUI-F and the Federal Shariat Court. Referring to the relations with PML-N, Zardari said the PPP successfully convinced the PML-N to take part in elections when it had decided to go for a boycott and then removed Pervez Musharraf as desired by the PML-N. He said the country was burning in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but the PPP did not revolt and accepted postponement of elections thus foiled plans of enemies to create disunity in Pakistan. The president said good governance in Punjab was possible because of the PPP. The PML-N now should have no problem as all of its demands had been fulfilled, he said while questioning what else Nawaz Sharif wanted him to do. Meanwhile, Benazir Bhuttos 3rd death anniversary was observed at Gharhi Khuda Bux on Monday. A large number of workers of Pakistan Peoples Party attended the event. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal and provincial ministers, parliamentarians, MNAs, MPAs, party leaders, workers, intellectuals, poets, and scholars attended the event and paid homage to Benazir Bhutto. People from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir reached Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto and paid homage and offered Fateha on her grave.

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