ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto says her party will never accept an unconstitutional president, whether in uniform or without uniform. She was talking to Punjab MPA Farzana Raja during a meeting in Dubai, says a message received here on Tuesday.
Ms Bhutto said the policies of Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had nothing for the poor. "Their policies are a complete failure and have no consideration for the masses," she added.
The PPP chairperson said restoration of a genuine democracy was a must to end Pakistan's isolation in the international community. "True strength comes from internal reforms for which restoration of democracy is essential," she said.
Ms Bhutto said the regime had imposed worst dictatorship in the country curbing basic human rights. She said, "There is no freedom. People are being killed in daylight. This is sheer dictatorship."
The PPP chairperson said a senior office-bearer of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, was killed in broad daylight in Lahore but no one had been arrested so far. Similarly, she said, Munawwar Suharwardy was also murdered in daylight in Karachi.
Ms Bhutto also criticized the federal and the Sindh governments for their failure in maintaining law and order. "Never before terrorists, fanatics and extremists had such a free hand to strike at will at targets of their choosing as was under the military government," she said.
OUR REPORTER ADDS: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has called upon the authorities to respect the freedom of press. In a statement issued here by PPP media cell on Tuesday, she condemned the attack on a Sindhi daily and a private TV channel and torture of the employees, including Allah Warayo Bozdar and Nasir Hussain, in a bid to silence the press.
According to reports, on the night of September 13, Ghotki police accompanied by some local people attacked the office of the newspaper and the channel. Mr Bozdar and his computer operator, Mr Hussain, had to seek intervention of their head office to put an end to their torture.
However, following the attack on the paper, a police report was filed to give authorities a pretext to the attack. Benazir asked the authorities to protect the life of citizens and take action against those who were responsible for the attack.
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