Zardari vows to fight bigots

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari has warned the people against what he called systematic assault on women rights in the country and asked the masses to fight this mindset.

In his message on the eve of the 63rd birth anniversary  of Benazir Bhutto on June 21, Zardari said, it is worrying that in the name of religion, obscurantist elements are increasingly suppressing women- some even calling for violence against them.

“We condemn and reject such declarations made by chauvinists in the name of religion. We condemn and reject the hysterical anti-women noises increasingly being made by these elements. The party vows to fight bigots and obscurantist to the finish” he added.

Zardari said the PPP will continue to fight militancy and strengthen democracy by fighting forces of status quo and anti-democracy. “We also reiterate our pledge to extricate the poor from abject poverty and degradation” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2016.