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HYDERABAD, Sept 26: Workers of the People's Party Parliamentarians should close their ranks to launch a movement against the rulers as the days of Gen Pervez Musharraf and his group are numbered.
This was conveyed by MPA Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman on behalf of the PPP leader Benazir Bhutto at the workers' convention in Hala on Saturday. Mr Makhdoom said the party chief had asked him to tell the workers that she could never forget their sacrifices and that they were more dear to her than leaders of the party.
She said their sacrifices to carry forward the mission of the party founder were unparalleled in history. She said the true face of Gen Musharraf had been exposed in the world and that the resolutions of assemblies would not be of any help to him.
Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh president of the party, Qaim Ali Shah said Benazir Bhutto held the party workers in high esteem. He said she might be living in exile but was aware of the performance of each and every worker.
Mr Shah said Gen Musharraf was trying to take shelter behind uniform in order to prolong his rule. He said an artificial shortage of water had been created in Sindh with a view to destroying the economy of the province.
MPA Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman said the workers of the party were ready to sacrifice their lives for democracy. He urged them to shun their internal differences and strengthen the hands of Ms Bhutto.
Prof N.D. Khan said after destroying the Constitution, the rulers were taking steps which were harmful for the unity and integrity of the country. Shah Mohammad Shah, MPA Farheen Mughal, Abdul Sattar Bachani, Mohsin Shah, Qamar Rajpar and MPA Ali Nawaz Shah spoke on the occasion.
SENIOR CITIZENS: The president of the district chapter of the Pakistan Senior Citizens Association, Dr Noor Mohammad Memon, has demanded that the government should implement a package of privileges prepared by the government of Zafarullah Jamali for the elderly people.
Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Sunday, he said the package was at par with the UN charter and had been recommended by the federal minister, Mehmood Ali, for the enactment.
He said the number of the elderly people was increasing in absolute and relative terms in the country. He said the fact had attracted the attention of many governments including smaller countries like Nepal and Bhutan.
He claimed that many countries had introduced welfare programmes to improve the life style of elderly people. He regretted that Pakistan which was one of the biggest Muslim country was lagging far behind in this regard.
Dr Memon pointed out that the former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali's government had recommended that all cases of elderly people pending in courts be disposed of on priority basis and prisoners aged 70 and above charged with minor crimes be pardoned.
He said the package also recommended free medical treatment, free ambulance service and the establishment of geriatrics wards in all federal and provincial hospitals.
Dr Memon said the other recommendations by the Jamali's government included setting up of recreational service institutions like senior citizens clubs and preparation of PTV programmes by the Allama Iqbal Open University for educating the people to respect and honour the senior citizens.
There was 50 per cent concession in rail, road and air service within the country for the elderly people. Dr Memon pleaded that senior citizens should be exempted from the payment of property tax on one house irrespective of area, revision of old pension rates to bring them at par with present scales and establishment of old people's houses in every district headquarter.
He said the association had approached the prime minister Shaukat Aziz who was aware of the status given to senior citizens in the USA and other civilized countries.
