MIRPURKHAS, Dec 18: Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Benazir Bhutto said on Tuesday that owing to PPP struggle, “army had quit the government.”

She said Pervez Musharraf, during negotiations, had promised to separate the army from the government and added that people were now waiting to see implementation of another promise of Musharraf i.e. holding of free and fair elections.

Addressing a public meeting at Gama Stadium here, Ms Bhutto said that PPP was the party of all communities including Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan, Baloch, Mohajir, people of Northern areas, Christian, Hindus adding that right of every citizen is protected in PPP’s manifesto.

Recalling the role of her late father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, she said that Quaid-e-Awam ended anarchy and restored democracy in the country, while she had followed the same principles. She said that her father made the country an atomic power and gave steel mill to the people.

She said that during her tenure she administered polio drops to her daughter Asifa but at that time she launched anti-polio campaign throughout the country to save the children of poor from disability.

She further said that Mirpurkhas always remained a fort of PPP and people of this region, including Umerkot, Tharparkar and Sanghar, loved her and supported the PPP candidates. She said that she came to Mirpurkhas which is the city of brave PPP and activists such as Jehangir Mughal and Junaid Buland did not bow before fear or favour.

She said that her opponents, particularly PML-Q, has no candidate to field against PPP as a PML-Q candidate from Hyderabad Mr Shoro recently returned its ticket.

Earlier, president of PPP, Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PPP candidates Nawab Yusuf Talpur, Roshan Junejo, Abdul Salam Thaheem also spoke.

Later, Ms Bhutto arrived in Nawabshah along with a large number of her supporters in a cavalcade consisting of over 150 vehicles, reports our Nawabshah correspondent.

She entered the town via Shahpur Chakar and touched Gupchani, Sarwarabad and Cheezalabad. People waited on both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of their leader. Ms Bhutto is scheduled to address a public meeting at Nawabashah stadium on Wednesday noon.