KARACHI, Oct 9: The Pakistan People’s Party will strive for a new social contract that will address national issues such as provincial autonomy and it will also seek to make amends for the excesses committed by the present regime against the Baloch and other nationalities.
This was stated by the president and the secretary-general of its Sindh chapter at a news conference at the party secretariat on Tuesday.
They slammed the media-trial of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, who would return home on Oct 18 as chairperson of the PPP and head of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. They told a questioner that many parties would benefit from the National Reconciliation Ordinance.
“We will welcome if Baloch leaders, against whom cases were registered under the present regime, are brought into the ambit of the NRO,” said Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Nafees Siddiqui, president and secretary-general of the Sindh chapter of the party, respectively, adding: “We will also like to address the issue of the plunder of national resources by the present regime”.
They said the PPP wanted that even Nawaz Sharif should be free to come home and benefit from such reconciliation. They were of the view that after the return of Ms Bhutto on Oct 18, the political environment and realities in the country would undergo a far-reaching change, which would compel the present rulers to bow before the will and power of the people.
They said the PPP would also like to see that all cases were dropped against Baloch political leaders and workers.
Mr Shah claimed his party never compromised on principles and those who always were instrumental in letting loose reigns of terror had started a media-trial against the PPP leadership.
He claimed that on Oct 18 a milling crowd from across the country would converge on Karachi airport to accord her a befitting homecoming. He warned that those who might be contemplating creating problems on that day would be taken to task.
He claimed people would come here on foot and by all available means of transport. He added that after the announcement of the arrival of the PPP chairperson, her popularity graph had shot up and after her return from abroad she would change the political atmosphere of the country, and with the support of the people compel the rulers to hold fair elections.
He added that in 1988 when the PPP formed the government it had withdrawn cases against leaders and workers of different political parties as part of national reconciliation. But he said that at that time no one asked such questions as they were asking now. The PPP leader added that the PPP alone was not the beneficiary of the NRO.
Others from the opposition and treasury benches would also benefit, but unfortunately a well-planned media-trial was initiated against the PPP leadership by those who had themselves entered into deals wit the regime in the past and were responsible for the 17th amendment that legitimised the military ruler.
He added that the PPP alone held dialogue with Gen Pervez Musharraf for holding free and fair election. He added that the PPP never deviated from its principled stance on the restoration of democracy.
Mr Shah said that the party’s founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had also held dialogue with military dictator Yahya Khan to ensure free and fair election.
He added that the PPP never opposed the return of PML-N head Nawaz Sharif and also demanded that all political party leaders be given a level-playing field in the forthcoming election.
PPP Sindh secretary-general Nafees Siddiqui said that due to the “wise leadership” of Ms Bhutto, Gen Musharraf had to agree to shed uniform and to hold fair elections.
He added that the PPP still abided by the charter of democracy signed at the platform of the ARD, which among other things had demanded fair elections, an independent election commission, elections under a neutral caretaker government, and that all leaders forced to live abroad be allowed to return and take part in the upcoming elections.
He added that to avoid bloodshed in the country the PPP had preferred peaceful transition to democracy and the end of the military rule from the country through dialogue. He said people who had themselves made deals were now criticizing the PPP. He said Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif went abroad as part of a deal and 17th Amendment was signed by the MMA as part of a deal with the military ruler.
Answering a question, he said that after being ushered into power once again, the PPP would prefer to include liberal, enlightened and moderate political parties in government.
Mr Siddiqui said the PPP had always supported provincial autonomy and believed that disharmony and the polarisation in the country was the result of the military rule.
Sardar Abdul Rahim Khoso, son of Sardar Muqeem Khoso, announced joining the PPP. Several notables of the Syed family from Thatta district also mad such an announcement. PPP Sindh’s additional information secretary Waqar Mehdi was also present on the occasion.
KARACHI, Oct 9: The Pakistan People’s Party will strive for a new social contract that will address national issues such as provincial autonomy and it will also seek to make amends for the excesses committed by the present regime against the Baloch and other nationalities.
