NAROWAL: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the PPP enjoyed the support of the masses in all provinces and the opposition’s planned long march would fail to get public support.
He said restoration in original form of the 1973 Constitution, which had been disfigured by dictators, was the biggest achievement of his government.
Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a Sui gas project here, he said dictators could not take any decision on the National Finance Commission award and the Pakistan People’s Party and its allies deserved credit for working out an award that ensured the rights of all provinces.
He said the right to self-government had been given to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan as had been an identity to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. People of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas got their rights through reforms introduced by the government, he said, adding that the Seraiki province would also be created by the PPP.
He said the federal government wanted to meet the basic needs of people without any discrimination.
He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sentenced to death because he had given the masses self-respect, identity, right to vote and courage to speak.
The prime minister said he had spent five years in jail and President Asif Ali Zardari 11 years but they remained loyal to the party and never compromised. “We will not allow anyone to damage the cause of democracy and self-respect of people.”
He said the Rs1.5 billion project had been inaugurated for Narowal despite the fact that local MNAs did not belong to the PPP.
“We have implemented 80 per cent of our manifesto and the PPP and its allies have won all the by-elections. This is the yardstick for the success of a party.”
He said development projects worth Rs3 billion had been completed in the Narowal district.
Mr Gilani said those opposing the government had always come to power using ‘crutches’, while the PPP had depended on people’s support.
He said a long march should have been organised when there was a dictator in power, judges were detained and media was under restrictions.
“You should have come to Pakistan and fought for the rights of people, but you went to Jeddah after reaching an agreement with a dictator,” said Mr Gilani in an obvious reference to PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.
He pointed out that one brother said he did not accept Mr Zardari as president, the other said he did not accept Yousuf Raza Gilani as the prime minister and now a third leader of the PML-N said he did not accept the speaker of the National Assembly.
The prime minister said Rs500 million had been given to the Punjab government for a road which had not been completed and he would soon order and investigation into the matter.
He announced a Rs2 million grant for the Narowal District Bar Association and Rs1 million each for the Zafarwal Bar Association, Narowal Press Club and National Electronic Media Club.
Mr Gilani said that passport offices would be set up in Shakar Garh and Narowal and the Nadra office in Shakar Garh would be upgraded. He accepted a demand to set up a special zone in Narowal to promote investment.—APP