NAWABSHAH, June 22: Asif Ali Zardari has said the day is not far off when a People’s Party man from Sindh will be in the President’s House.

The PPP co-chairman said at a press conference at Zardari House on Sunday that since PPP workers had rendered numerous sacrifices for democracy, the party had the right to choose its own president “in the name of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto”.

He said that some “remnants of the dictatorship” were trying to force the break-up of the PPP-PML-N coalition.However, Mr Zardari added, PPP would continue its struggle for the country’s sovereignty and the coalition would go from strength to strength.

Recalling Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Mr Zardari said the country was facing polarisation, but her philosophy saved the country.

He said three of his predecessors at PPP helm — Z.A Bhutto, Ms Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto --- had been ‘martyred’.

Rationalising his description of Nusrat Bhutto as a martyr, the PPP co-chairman said she had been turned into a ‘lost soul’ because of the lingering effects of an injury she got in the 1980s when she was baton-charged at a rally.

“Now she is neither dead nor alive. Therefore, she should be considered a martyr.”He said he was a “Bhuttoist” and his party’s belief was to serve humanity. He said a democratic system without unified armed forces was bound to fail and no timeframe could be given in politics.

He said the issue of judges’ restoration had been politicised as the Supreme Court Bar Association president was a politician.

He said the PPP wanted to strengthen judiciary by taking all political forces on board.

He said the young generation was in a hurry as it was commenting that there was no change in the country. He said his party had only passed 60 days in government but already there was some change. Soon the nation would feel a lot of change.

Responding to a question, he said the PPP would further strengthen its alliance with the PML-N because it wanted all parties to equally participate in a successful democratic process.He said that agencies were conspiring to divide people at the district, taluka and mohalla levels to weaken the PPP.

He said that Rs38 billion was allocated in the federal budget for poverty alleviation and a huge amount would be reserved in the next budget.

About the participation of the PML-N in the long march despite being part of the government, he said it was the beauty of the new style of politics obtained by them which was not easily understood by some.

He said he and the PML-N had different views over the issue of reinstatement of judges but soon there would be an agreement.

He said the party gave its past to the people and he would give his present to the party and the people of Pakistan.

Answering a question, he said that Kashmir was the cause of the foundation of People’s Party and Z.A. Bhutto signed the Simla Agreement to strengthen India-Pakistan relations. Benazir Bhutto signed a peace agreement with Rajiv Gandhi as she wanted Saarc to become an economic zone.

Sindh Interior Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani were also present on the occasion.

Later, Mr Zardari left for Islamabad.