ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The People’s Party Parliamentarians announced on Monday its manifesto for Oct 10 elections with a pledge to strive for an egalitarian Pakistan.

PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim told reporters at the party’s secretariat that ‘Roti Kapra aur Makan’ was to the day the main plank of the party’s manifesto.

The PPP reaffirmed its faith that people were the political sovereigns and the party would continue to struggle for their economic, political and social rights, he said.

PPP acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani later spelt out the salient features of the manifesto saying that they had highlighted 28 issues confronting the people and the country. A detailed working paper would be released within the next few days, he added.

Mr Rabbani said an electoral reform package, earlier released by the party, would also be part of the manifesto.

“The rigging of elections has robbed the people of hope in the ballot. Unless this hope is recreated, the malaise will deepen,” read the manifesto.

He said that peace has been accorded top priority in the manifesto.

Religion was the second most important issue addressed in the manifesto. It pledged to promote religious tolerance in the country, saying that beliefs of individuals had little to do with the business of the state.

On the issue of terrorism, he said: “Terrorism was born in the bowels of dictatorship, which recruited, trained, armed and financed extreme factions while marginalizing the moderate, democratic and pluralistic forces.”

The PPP, he added, was proud to have had given Pakistan stability and the writ of the state in all its governments making the safety of citizens its top priority.

Mr Rabbani noted that during the last three years massive retrenchment in the government departments and organizations was carried out. “For the first time mass unemployment reached such heights that people chose to commit suicides because they were unable to feed their families,” he said.

The PPP vowed to eradicate poverty by increasing the social sector budget and the annual development plan. “It is by investing in our youth that we can build a progressive and prosperous society,” he added.

Mr Rabbani said the party was of the view that country’s external debt was a main woe afflicting the country’s economy.

He claimed that the PPP during its terms had retired one billion dollars. “Regimes squandered opportunities that arose where Pakistan, like Egypt and Jordan could have got the debt written off,” he added.

The PPP always took power after rulers signed agreements with international financial institutions locking it into pre-fixed frameworks. As soon as the PPP strengthened the economy enabling it to negotiate a better deal with the international financial institutions, it was overthrown by the anti-people forces, he said.

Mr Rabbani said the PPP would introduce a “Pay as you earn scheme” to promote credit purchases by the middle class people. A credit bank would be established to disperse small and medium loans to encourage instalment purchases of daily life necessities. “Open minds, open markets, open opportunities is our slogan as we change IoUs into MoUs,” he added.

In the education sector, he said, the party would provide free textbooks to the government primary schools. “PPP commits to its sons and daughters an education that enables a brighter future,” he added.

He further said that the party would set up a youth force named “Khadim-i-Danish” on the lines of lady health visitors scheme who would assist in education, literacy and health enhancing rates and creating social awareness. Overseas youth would also be involved in the scheme.

The manifesto also took up rule of law as an issue as a major factor of most of the political and economic ills.