Addressing a gathering in Badin after inaugurating a cheque distribution ceremony under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), President Zardari said: “Political orphans and political actors have gathered to destabilise the elected government, but they are doomed to be frustrated … the people of Pakistan will thwart their designs. They are in state of panic because they know the people’s power of the elected government.”
Highlighting the PPP’s deep roots in the masses, he urged “political actors and orphans to avoid resorting to launching a negative propaganda campaign because it will prove to be fruitless”.
Referring to the launching of former president Pervez Musharraf’s political party, he said that Musharraf’s political venture has no room to maneuvre. “He will remain in exile as long as he is alive.” His party, Zardari said, had “ousted Gen (retd) Musharraf with the help of people’s power.
Rejecting allegations suggesting that the government is supporting feudalism, he said that these elements “forget that the PPP brought common workers to parliament because it served the interests of the common people”.
Under the zamindari system, he said, peasants are shareholders of half of the crop production, adding that this system “does not support feudalism”.
Stressing the need for early rebuilding of flood-hit areas, the president said for the first time in the country’s history, the government “intends to impose tax on affluent people to generate more revenues, which will be utilised for the rehabilitation of flood survivors”.
Promising to pursue “the huge economic agenda pledged by the party” during the last elections, he said the “democratic government will complete its mandated five-year term and continue to pursue the development agenda”.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2010.
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