KASUR, Dec 16: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Sunday the PPP-led government had almost completed its tenure and that his party would sweep the next general election despite ‘false allegations’ levelled by opposition parties, a ‘media trial’ and other tactics being faced by it.

Addressing a huge public gathering after inaugurating a sub-regional office of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and a passport office in Kasur, the prime minister also announced that Bulleh Shah international university would be set up and several gas projects launched in the area.

He said those who talked of provinces, tribes and sects had weakened the country. He said the People’s Party was not hungry for power, rather it had shed its blood for Pakistan and democracy.

The prime minister said the PPP had always believed in politics of reconciliation and “Dec 16 (the fall of Dhaka) reminds us not to commit any mistake and to remain united”.

He said that hostile forces had been trying to force the party to surrender by sending its leaders to jail, giving them capital punishment and spreading propaganda against it but its workers had always laid down their lives for a sublime cause and preferred to reconcile rather than seek revenge.

He said the leaders of the PPP were not ‘seasonal birds’ and that they had been leading the nation right from the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Z.A Bhutto laid down his life and all the following civil governments were the outcome of his sacrifice, he said.

The prime minister said the history was witness that it was the PPP that had faced the dictators, including Ayub khan and Ziaul Haq, while others claiming to be saviours of democracy stood by them. “The PPP knows well how to safeguard democracy.”

He said he knew the reality of everyone but was not exposing those who were spreading propaganda. Prime Minister Ashraf said the PPP had been facing opposition since its inception but the Asghar Khan case had unmasked many faces.

He said there was no example of any other party having raised its ordinary workers to the status of prime minister.

He said President Asif Zardari had devolved all powers to parliament and strengthened the institutions, including the Election Commission, judiciary and media.

He said the government had increased wheat prices for the benefit of farmers, made the country an exporter of the commodity and raised wages.

He claimed that the development achieved under the current government was matchless in the country’s history.

He also said that many schemes had been launched for the welfare of the poor, including the Benazir Income Support Programme, and such initiatives would continue of the PPP returned to power.

The prime minister said the elections were at hand, all the political parties were in the arena and the people would be the best judge.

Earlier, a party worker died of heart attack while leading a procession towards the venue.