MYMENSINGH: East Pakistan Revenue and Relief Minister, Mr Fazlul Bari, said on Saturday that East Pakistan’s share in the total allocations during the Third Five-Year Plan would be Rs. 100 crores more than that of West Pakistan. The Minister, who was addressing a public meeting at Muktagacha, said that this showed how keen the present Government was to remove economic disparity between the two wings, a legacy of the previous regimes.

Refuting the charges that President Ayub had taken away the rights and privileges of the people, the Minister said that had President Ayub wanted to remain in power he could have done so as he was vested with supreme power. But as a lover of democracy, Mr Bari added, the President withdrew Martial Law and gave a constitution to the country within the shortest possible time. Stressing the need for stability of the Government which was most lacking during the pre-Martial Law period, the Minister paid glowing tributes to the dynamic leadership of President Ayub and said that never before had Pakistan gained so much prestige at home and abroad. The present Government, the Minister said, was going to fulfil the dreams of the people.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014