RAWALPINDI: Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto said here today [May 16] that the darkest period since his Government assumed office three and a half years ago was now over, and with the beginning of the second phase of its commitments to the people, his Government was determined to cope with … (1) law and order, (2) crime and corruption, and (3) inflation — which will bring an effective change in … social and economic life.

Addressing a Press conference at Prime Minister’s House … Mr Bhutto said he was conscious that his party could not keep to all its commitments which it had made before the elections because of new and unexpected factors… . Mr Bhutto … said that certain important decisions had been taken to shake the law and order system, to tackle crime and corruption with a heavy hand, and to discipline the country’s economy. … The [PM] expressed his determination to root out corruption not merely from bureaucracy and police, but from entire public life. In this process, he would not mind if a provincial Government, or even the national Govern­ment fell, because … his commitments were to the people.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025