ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Secretary Information, Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday said the present democratic government by following in the footprints of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was striving to transform the country into a modern Islamic welfare state.

Kaira, former information minister said that the Bhutto was not only the leader of Pakistan and the Islamic Ummah, but the entire Third World. After dismemberment of the country in 1971, there were serious doubts about the future of Pakistan but through visionary and dynamic leadership, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto not only restored the pride of the nation but made it a prosperous nation.

During an exclusive interview with state-run news agency's Video News Service, the former Information Minister said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutoo gave  voice to downtrodden segments of the society including labourers, farmers and Haris. During Zulfikar Ali Bhutto era, he added, numerous mega projects were launched and even 32 years after his martyrdom the PPP gets votes in his name.

To a question Kaira said, that if he were alive today, Pakistan would have become a super power of the world, not the victim and terrorist activities. He also said that the Shaheed Bhutto would have resolved all our disputes with neighbouring India and Kashmiris would have enjoyed the fruits of freedom.

Recounting the achievements of the PPP government, he said besides introducing reforms in the Constitution, the government has took the provinces on-board on all matters due to which it announced Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan package, Gilgit-Baltistan package, restored sacked employees and gave incentives to agriculture sector.

Owing to the government policies, the country has not only become self sufficient in wheat but it has exported this commodity, instead of importing it and has achieved the highest export target, he said. Kaira said that present government was making all out efforts for the socio-economic uplift of the country.

He said that the institutions were confronting numerous problems in the past but the PPP government after coming into power made earnest efforts to strengthen national institutions.

To a question, he said that the government had launched development projects including construction of water reservoirs to meet the growing demand of the energy sector.

While replying to a question, he said that the PPP has constituted Manifesto committee which would present its recommendations keeping in view the futuristic vision. He said in the past the state institutions were used to break the PPP, but due to support of the masses not only it survived but came to power several times.

Kaira said that Bhutto’s greatest achievements besides 1973 Constitution, were commencement of Pakistan‘s nuclear programme, as well as the retrieval of prisoners of the 1971 war. The PPP leader said the visionary leader was physically eliminated but he lives perennially in hearts and minds of the nation.

Kaira said Bhutto gave downtrodden a voice for the first time in Pakistan, and successfully got released 93,000 prisoners of war after the defeat, giving Pakistan a Constitution that it could be proud of, made the country an Atomic power and organised the first the OIC conference in Lahore. “We cannot discuss all of his achievements in limited, it needs many days to encompass all his achievements,” he said.