NAROWAL: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said the restoration of 1973 Constitution in its original form, which was disfigured by the dictators, was the biggest ever achievement of the PPP government which came to power with the support of masses.
Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a Sui gas project for the people of Narowal, the prime minister said dictators could not take any decision on the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and again it was the credit of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and its allies, which took the decision and announced the NFC Award to ensure the rights to all provinces.
Gilani said only the PPP-led coalition government could ensure the sanctity of the Constitution.
He said the right of self-government was given to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan by the PPP and giving the identity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also on its credit.
Gilani said after 100 years, the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) got their right through reforms done by the PPP government.
Now the Seraiki Province will also be created by the PPP, he added.
Referring to the threat of long march by the PML-N’s Punjab government against the federal government, the prime minister said the PPP enjoyed support of the masses from all the provinces, therefore, claims for long march by the opposition could not get people's support.
Gilani said the PML-N should have staged long march when the dictator was in power, judges were in jails and media was restricted.
The prime minister said the PPP was struggling for the rights of people, for the restoration of judges and to lift the restrictions on the media, while the Pakistan Muslim Legaue-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership had left the country after signing an agreement with the dictator.
About Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister said: “one brother says he doesn’t accept the president, the other says he doesn’t accept the prime minister and now the third leader of their party says he doesn’t accept the speaker of the National Assembly.”
Gilani said as prime minister it was his first visit to Narowal headquarter. Although the local members of the National Assembly are not from the PPP which indicates government’s resolve to provide basic needs of life to the people across the board without any discrimination, he added.
He said Narowal once was the home of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and all the seven seats were won by the PPP.
Gilani said it was the credit of Bhutto who gave the slogan of “one man one vote” to bring the common man equal to the influential and after that the people used that force and voted the PPP into power. He said that his party considers the people as a source of strength in the democratic system.
The prime minister said President Asif Ali Zardari remained in the jail for eleven years and he remained in jail for five years but they remained loyal and committed to party and never compromised.
He said, “We will not allow damaging cause of democracy and self-respect of the people.”
The prime minister said development projects worth Rs three billion alone had been completed in Narowal district that included projects of electricity, gas and roads including other programmes.