18 April 2005	Monday	08 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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LAHORE, April 17: Stating that the army was a permanent reality in the country, Asif Ali Zardari said here on Sunday the PPP would value the opinion of the institution and take it along. In the clearest ever message to the establishment, delivered at a news conference at Bilawal House here, he said the PPP was for talks with the institution from which the present rulers derived their strength.

In the presence of many party leaders, he said the PPP and the army both were patriotic in their approach, although there were ideological differences between them.

He said some people, because of their addiction to power, had gone astray and that was the reason the PPP was proposing a dialogue. He made it clear that the offer did not mean the party would go against the aspirations of its supporters or compromise on its principles.

Significantly, the husband of the twice-elected former prime minister Benazir Bhutto did not use the kind of language against Gen Pervez Musharraf usually found in statements of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy of which the PPP is a major component.

Repeating his demand for fresh elections during the current year, Mr Zardari told a questioner that it would be up to new parliament to decide whether to accept Gen Musharraf as president without uniform.

The establishment was the permanent player while other actors continued changing, Mr Zardari said.

Referring to allegations levelled by smaller provinces and some parties that the army belonged to Punjab, Mr Zardari said it was a Pakistani army which belonged to everyone. However, he complained that the government working under its umbrella was dictatorial.

Alleging that the PPP was deprived of mandate in the 2002 elections, he said the party had avoided agitation in spite of the fact that it had popular support to adopt the course. He said since the PPP was the largest party, it had equally heavy responsibilities to shoulder. Thus, he said, all its policies would be dictated by national interest.

He defended all the policies pursued by the two former PPP governments, which were prematurely dismissed on various charges.

He said if voted to power, his party would again follow people-friendly policies to solve the common man’s problems.

Disputing the tall claims being made by the rulers about economic prosperity and completion of a number of mega projects, the PPP leader said the growing number of suicides negated the utterances of the government. He said most of the projects or decisions the government was claiming credit for had been initiated by the PPP governments.

About the sense of alienation in smaller provinces, Mr Zardari said he would try to satisfy the dissatisfied. He said while the ‘iron hand’ of the rulers might worsen the situation in other provinces, his contact with them would yield positive results.

He said Bilawal House was the most suitable place for contacts with people who he said

were playing into the hands of others.

Referring to the efforts being made by the present rulers to improve relations with India, Mr Zardari said it was the PPP which had taken important steps in that direction during its rule.

He said the rulers were discriminating against the PPP by disallowing it to hold a rally at a time when the religious parties’ alliance had a free hand to organize one. It appeared, he said, as if Maulana Fazlur Rehman (the MMA secretary-general) had some “glitter” which impressed the rulers.