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Sunday, May 27, 2012
Too late for ‘N’ to hold long march, says Gilani* PM says Sharifs should have gone for long march when dictator was in power, judges were in jails and media faced restrictions
NAROWAL: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said the restoration of the 1973 Constitution to its original form, which was disfigured by dictators, was the biggest ever achievement of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government which came into power with the support of the masses.
Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a gas project for the people of Narowal, the PM said dictators could not take any decision on the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and again “the credit goes to the PPP and its allies, which took the decision and announced the NFC Award to ensure the rights to all provinces”.
Gilani said only the PPP coalition government could ensure the sanctity of the constitution. He said the right of self-government was given to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan by the PPP, and giving the identity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also to its credit. Gilani said that after a century, the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) got their rights through reforms done by the PPP government. “Now the Saraiki province will also be created to the PPP,” he added.
Referring to the threat of a long march by the Punjab government against the federal government, the PM said the PPP enjoyed the support of the masses from all provinces; therefore, the claims of a long march by the opposition could not get people’s support. “They should have gone for a long march when dictator was in power, judges in jails and media faced restrictions.”
He said that as a prime minister, it was his first visit to Narowal headquarters. “Though the local members of the National Assembly are not from the PPP, this indicates that the federal government wants to provide basic needs of life to the people across the board without any discrimination,” he added.
He said Narowal was once the home of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and all the seven seats were won by the PPP founder. He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sentenced to death for giving to the masses self-respect, identity, right to vote and courage to speak.
Gilani said it was the credit of Bhutto who gave the slogan of “one man one vote” to bring the common man equal to the influential people, and after that the people used that force and voted the PPP into the power corridors. He said the PPP considered the people as a source of strength in the democratic system. He said those opposing the government always came into power on the crutches of someone, but the PPP always came into power through the support of the masses.
The PM said that due to the self-respect given to the people by Bhutto, the common man was now fully aware of his rights and could not be deceived by those politicians who were just raising slogans. “PPP is the name of a mission, ideology and movement, and all the people in the party are loyal to it, and they remained in the party despite sentences and lashes,” he said. “We will not allow [anyone] to damage the cause of democracy and self-respect of the people.”
The PM, while accepting the demand of local investors, announced to set up an economic zone in Narowal to promote investment in the area, and directed the Board of Investment and other departments concerned to take immediate measures in this regard. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk