The president inaugurated several projects for south Punjab and announced a special development package for Bahawalpur at Ashrafabad where he had an overnight stay.

During his address, he was asked about the issue of provincial status for the region.

The president said he knew that the question would come up, but it should be addressed to parliament in accordance with the Constitution.

The Bahawalpur package included setting up of a children's hospital, a nursing college and a campus of the Virtual University, upgrading the Bahawalpur-Multan road , dualising the Hasilpur Road, opening information technology labs in schools and colleges, supplying gas and electricity and offering scholarships to students.

The president said the government had spent Rs2 billion on development projects in the area.

He promised to solve the problem of shortage of water.

President Zardari gave Benazir Smart Cards to 10 selected needy women through which they could buy essential items worth Rs1,000 every month under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). Five women were given keys to rickshaws and five others cheques of Rs50,000 each.

The president inaugurated the Rs2 billion south Punjab modern internet service project and unveiled the plaque of a 500kV grid station for Rahim Yar Khan which would be set up at a cost of Rs6 billion.

He also inaugurated a project for supplying Sui gas to Musafirkhana and Noorpur Naranga near Ashrafabad.

President Zardari said the PPP-led government was following the vision of the party's martyred leaders.

He said the greatest source of his strength were the people who had offered sacrifices and 'political actors and philosophers' could not damage him.

Referring to slogans against the country raised at the time of burial of the late Benazir Bhutto, he said he had made Pakistan stronger since then.

The president said Bahawalpur had been neglected over the previous 60 years, but the current government had carried out development work in the area.