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Today's Paper | December 01, 2024

Published 21 Nov, 2006 12:00am

Military interventions gave birth to militancy: Benazir

HYDERABAD, Nov 20: Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said that frequent military interventions have given birth to militant groups, gun culture, terrorism and violence in society which are now posing a serious threat to the integrity of the country.

In a message read out at an Eid reunion party organised here on Sunday by Syed Fayaz Ali Shah, a member of the PPP Sindh council, Ms Bhutto reiterated her decision to return to the country before the next polls. She said: “I will be with my people in 2007 and together we will defeat in general elections all the anti-democratic forces.”

She said that ensuring free, fair, transparent and impartial general elections was in the best national interest and every Pakistani should take part in the struggle to rescue the country from militarisation which had pushed the country into chaos.

Quaid-i-Awam was the torchbearer of Quaid-i-Azam’s legacy of a federal, democratic and egalitarian Pakistan where people and provinces enjoyed equal rights, she said.

She said that Quaid-i-Awam believed that the best way for a Muslim society to achieve progress was to create a country based on multi-culturalism and multi-ethnicity where all people belonging to all races and professing all religions were equal in the eyes of law.

Roti, Kapra aur Makaan was the right of every individual, she said, adding "I urge the hardworking and patriotic people of Pakistan, particularly the youth, to come forward and contribute to the struggle for rescuing the people from the forces of bigotry and backwardness".

Ms Bhutto said that when people from every nook and corner of the country joined the struggle for the restoration of real democracy they would be able to climb up the ladder to new glories and successes. They would in fact be assuming a great responsibility for the cause of nation and democracy and "I am proud of them," she said.

She said that the workers were the party’s backbone and the stories of their courage, dedication, determination and selfless sacrifices in the face of persecution and victimisation for the larger good of society had become legends in their own right.

She said that the struggle for restoration of democracy and ending of military rule was going on and God willing the 2007 would bring democracy and freedom to people. PPP, with the help of its allies, would lead people to victory and restoration of their democratic rights, she said.

She said that the followers of Quaid-i-Awam who had laid down his dear life for his noble dream had a great responsibility to make his dream of a federal, democratic and egalitarian society come true.

Sindh PPP President Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that people had been fed up with the seven-year misrule by generals and were not ready to bear them any longer.

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