Zardari calls for fresh polls in Pakistan, PPP activists set free
By Omair Goraya - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians [PPPP] leader Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday reiterated party’s demand of holding free and fair elections in the country in 2005 and wanted across the board dialogue with establishment in the larger interests of people of Pakistan.

“Yes, we want dialogue with power brokers, with army, with intellectuals, with lawyers and each and every valuable segment of society in order to save the country from prevailing dangers and for the protection of masses’ rights, he vowed.

Speaking at a news conference at Bilawal House in Lahore, Zardari viewed that only PPPP and Benazir Bhutto could save the country from all problems as they had solution to each and every problem of the country. He said two-party system, if prevails, would ultimately benefit Pakistan but not individuals.

He said present government’s claim of good governance had been exposed and it is merely a political gimmick as immature elements wishing to gain personal aims and having no political vision with short agenda were sitting in the parliament.

He claimed PPP, which ruled Pakistan thrice, had much political experience and vision than any party and could run the national affairs with accuracy as it was the party of poor and poverty-stricken people.

Of Workers Arrest

Condemning the torture and arrests of party workers in Lahore on Zardari’s arrival, he pledged to raise voice against the Punjab government at the platforms of courts and assemblies. “The rulers, who can not tolerate even a single rally of a political party, how they can hold free and fair elections in the country”, he asked.

Castigating the government’s double standard, he said on the one hand the MMA was allowed to hold rallies while on the other the largest political party of Pakistan was denied right of holding rally for welcoming its leader. “Pakistan could face danger by the MMA but my presence is in the interests of federation, poor people and country”, he opined.

Zardari warned that party activists had shown only highlight on his arrival otherwise it could have gone for showing street power. “I am launching political activities from Lahore and will activate party from Punjab to Balochistan from here as I could not have activated it from Karachi”, he said.

Replying to a query, he said party wanted to be engaged in dialogue with establishment for future political set-up but rejected that in the past it felt need of establishment as an unavoidable thing.

Asked if it would accept role of President Gen Musharraf after process of national reconciliation went through successfully with PPPP, he said let it be decided by the new parliament and assemblies if new elections could be held in 2005 and fresh government replaces previous set-up.

He admitted that PPPP had been engaging in dialogue with the establishment for eight years. He told a questioner that PPPP had ambitions to draw out rallies and he would not be needed to announce as workers are always ready for this whenever and wherever he would intend to go.

Meets Kashmiris Delegation

Asif Ali Zardari vowed that no one would be allowed to make compromise on Kashmir issue saying that Kashmiri people rendered several sacrifices for their genuine right of self-determination.

Talking to a delegation coming from Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Asif Zardari said that Kashmir problem has reached to a decisive stage adding that Kashmiri struggle would give fruits soon. Zardari assured full support to the Kashmiri delegation that included PPP Secretary Information Matloob Inqilabi, deputy opposition leader Javed Akhtar, chairman People Students Federation Ziaul Qamar and others.

He assured the delegation that Kashmir problem would be resolved according to the wishes of Kashmiri people adding that Kashmiri leaders should be included in the ongoing dialogues between Pakistan and India.

Zardari lauded the sacrifices rendered by the AJK party workers for receiving him at Lahore airport. He criticized government atrocities against party workers. “For restoration of democracy and for my release Kashmiri people rendered great sacrifices and I salute them,” Zardari remarked.

He said that Pakistan People Party fully supports the Kashmiri struggle for their independence. He said that there was no alternative but Kashmir problem should be settled down according to the wishes of Kashmiri people.

Asif Ali Zardari said that Kashmir is a political issue and it can be resolved only through negotiations.

Optimism

“From day first Benazir Bhutto pleaded to make the Line of Control soft so that both sides of Kashmiri people should meet each other,” he informed. After passing ten years he said that rulers of both the countries now following the Benazir’s policy. However, he hoped that permanent solution of the Kashmir dispute would come out from the ongoing peace process between Pakistan and India.

PPPP President Makdoom Amin Fahim, Central Secretary General Jehangir Badr, Qasim Zia, Qaim Ali Shah, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Khalid Ahmed Kharal, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Nafees Siddiqi, Taj Haider, Naveed Munir Ahmed Khan and others were also present on the occasion.

PPP Workers Released

Meanwhile, scores of PPP leaders and activists, who were taken into custody across Punjab in the last couple of days on arrival of Asif Ali Zardari, were freed on Sunday. On arrival of Asif Ali Zardari, the spouse of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto on Saturday the law enforcing agencies made massive arrests of PPP leaders and workers from different parts of Lahore.

Prominent among them were Makhdoom Amin Fahim, General Secretary Jehangir Badr, Naheed Khan. Those PPP leaders who were arrested on Saturday including, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Sardar Latif Khosa, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Safdar Abbasi, opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Qasim Zia, Deputy opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Makhdoom Jamilu Zaman.

Earlier, Raza Rabbani Sunday did not rule out walking out of talks with the government for, what he phrased as; "its anti-PPP policies". “Our CEC (Central Executive Committee) will take a decision in this regard. But we certainly condemn the way the regime has treated our workers”, Opposition leader in Senate told a joint news conference with Babar Awan and Fauzia Wahab.

The PPP leader said that hundreds of the workers were still missing while Asif Ali Zardari was being “illegally” confined at his house. “We will challenge his confinement in High Court. We will also seek court’s help to recover our workers”, he said.●