PPP leadership meets in London

Mohtarma Bhutto vows to return, adopts several resolutions

PPP demands NAB probe into Oil Companies Advisory Committee

Oil marketing companies be stripped of powers to regulate oil prices

Islamabad Nov 24, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has asked for a NAB inquiry into the oil price scam demanding also that the task of fixing oil price be withdrawn from the cartel of oil marketing companies under the name of Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) and handed over to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) the statutory body created for this purpose.

In a statement today Party spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said that serious bungling in the oil prices had come to surface in replies given to Senate questions that can no longer be covered up.

In reply to a question about progressive increase in transportation margin allowed to each oil company last year the Petroleum Minister said in the Senate today that the margin, which was only two rupees per litre in July 2004, had been increased to nearly ten rupees a litre by December that year.

"Increasing the transportation margin to the companies from two rupees a litre to ten rupees a litre in a short span of six months is a scandal of monumental proportions that needs to be investigated and probed".

An increase of eight rupees per litre in transportation margin to the oil marketing companies amounted to an unprecedented five hundred percent jump. It amounts to scandalously robbing the poor people of the country of tens of billions, he said.

He said that if say ten million litres of oil were transported daily within the country the transportation margin given to oil companies in July was 20 million rupees but for the same quantity of oil transportation in December the daily transportation margin went up to one hundred million. It translates into a windfall gain of nearly 30 billion rupees to the oil companies in a year. If this is not a scandal what else is it, he asked?

He said it is ridiculous to claim that oil prices are fixed in accordance with a formula approved by the government. "What is the rationale for the formula that allows an increase of five hundred percent in transportation margin to the oil companies in just six months"?

Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Petroleum Minister had still not answered as to how much of windfall gain went to each oil company. If the matter was probed many a skeletons in the cupboard will be exposed, he said.

Oil prices worldwide had come down but in Pakistan these were going up. The OCAC was a cartel of oil marketing companies that made hay while the poor groaned.

It is intriguing that a statutory body called the ‘Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’ (OGRA) existed for fixing oil prices but the government still allowed the cartel of oil marketing companies to determine oil prices. Worst still, the so-called accountability mechanism refuses to move despite overwhelming evidence, he said.

Mohtarma Bhutto expresses solidarity with fishing community

Islamabad November 20, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has felicitated the fishermen of Pakistan on the World Fisheries Day being celebrated Monday November 21.

She said that it was a pity that the fisher folks in Sindh and Baluchistan have been compelled to hold protest meetings today against the government's apathy towards their problems. The Party reiterates its support to the demands of fishing community and calls upon the regime to address their genuine grievances, she said in a message on the occasion.

While expressing solidarity with the fishing community she said the Party rejects plans for auctioning fisheries rights in Sindh province as unjust and amounting to depriving the local fisherman of their traditional source of living and trade.

The demand of the Sindh fishermen not to abolish the existing license system is lawful, in accordance with past practices and consistent with the Sindh Fisheries Act 1980, she said.

"The uprooting of fisherman in Sindh, the forcible ejection of tenants of Okara and other military farms in the Punjab and the sacking of labour and civilian employees showed how dictatorship hurts the rights of a people".

Mohtarma Bhutto also asked the authorities to consider the long standing demand for the construction of a Jetty for the small fishermen at Karachi Fish Harbour.

Despite being thousands in numbers the small fishermen are deprived of a key facility of Jetty at Karachi Fish Harbour as the existing one caters only to the commercial trawlers. The small fishermen also have a right to have a jetty that caters to their requirements, she said.

The PPP Chairperson deplored the anti people policies being followed since the dismissal of the PPP government. Systematically the vested interests were exploiting the underprivileged and usurping their economic rights whether they were the coastal fishermen or the tenants on Okara military farmlands or the low paid labour, she said.

Mohtarma Bhutto’s tributes to Shanawaz Bhutto on 20th anniversary

Islamabad, 20 November 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has issued the following statement on the twentieth death anniversary of Shaheed Shah Nawaz Bhutto falling on Monday November 21, 2005.

"On this day of November 21, 2005, the twentieth birthday anniversary of the Shahadat of Shah Nawaz Bhutto, the youngest son of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, I would like to thank all those who have sent messages sent to me on the occasion of the birthday of my youngest brother Shah Nawaz Shaheed.

"This is the twentieth birthday of his since he was killed. Had he lived, Shah Nawaz would have been 47 years old. His daughter has grown up without a Father. His Mother had her heart torn with the loss of her precious child. My brother, sister and I were forever wounded with the murder of our brother.

"However, Shah Nawaz was determined to fight for freedom, for the dignity of each human, for the pride of our Nation and for the rights of our people. He gave his life in the epic struggle for the emancipation of our people from political and social exploitation. He never wavered in the defense of his principles ever ready to risk his life, a sacrifice he gave so that the rest of us could live in peace, hope and dignity. May God Bless Shah's soul".

PPP files reference against CM Baluchistan

Islamabad, 18 November 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has filed a reference with the National Accountability Bureau against the Chief Minister Baluchistan, Jam Mohammad Yousaf for causing huge financial loss to the national exchequer by corruption and corrupt practices.

The complaint was filed by Ch Muhammad Aslam on behalf of the PPP the other day which says, "A news report claims that Respondent was deeply involved in Rs. 82, Million loan written off from the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan in 2004 as Chief Minister Baluchistan. According to details available Mr. Jam Mohammad Yousaf now Chief Minister Baluchistan got a loan of Rs. 82 Million in 1980 from the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan for Bela Ghee Mills owned by the Chief Minister Baluchistan Mr. Jam Mohammad Yousaf. The Managing Director of Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan presented documents in a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue held in the Parliament House Islamabad and was presided over by Mr. Anwar Ali Cheema MNA. The meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue was called upon for the discussion on the story state of affairs in the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan. In the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, the Managing Director of the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan (IDBP) presented a list of powerful people who got massive loans written. On the top of the list of powerful people who got massive loans written off was Baluchistan Chief Minister Baluchistan Jam Mohammad Yousaf. The Managing Director of the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan (IDBP) told the National Assembly Standing Committee on the Finance Committee on Finance and Revenue that on the one side the Bank was running into Rs. 25.30 Billion loss and on the other side the loans drawn from the bank of powerful people were written off. The Managing Director IDBP also disclosed to the National Assembly Standing Committee and Revenue that recently the IDBP got Rs. 8 billion for the Government in the name of paying the salaries for the Bank staff."

The complaint called upon the Chairman of the NAB to initiate investigation in connection with matters set out herein above and further proceed to file a reference against the respondent for violating the provisions of Section 9 of the Ordinance punishable under Section 10 of the Ordinance in Competent court of law and proceed against those concerned for violating Section 9 of the Ordinance.

Mohtarma Bhutto condemns Sangla Hill frenzy
Calls for inquiry, arrest of culprits and compensation to victims

Islamabad November 18, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has condemned the burning down of three churches and a missionary run school on Saturday by some extremists in Sangala Hill in the Nanka district of Punjab and demanded investigations into the incident and arrest of the culprits and punishment to them under the law.

On Saturday three churches, a missionary run school, two hostels and several houses belonging to the Christian community were torched by an enraged mob after they were reported incited o violence by some extremist elements.

In a statement today the former Prime Minister said that the incident showed that the regime's claims of moderation and tolerance notwithstanding the dictatorship had openly permitted the misguided bigots and extremists to preach violence against the minorities and disadvantaged groups from the pulpits.

Press reports say that the attacks were provoked after gambling partners of a Christian youth accused him of torching the Holy Quran that provoked angry calls from the mosques by religious zealots to teach the Christians a lesson. The Lahore archbishop Lawrence Saldanaha has alleged that assailants were brought by buses from outside for the assault on some 300 families living in the area.

Mohtarma Bhutto said that the minority community leaders had voiced their apprehensions about an impending assault on them much in advance and the regime had time to take pre-emptive measure if it was serious in protecting the minorities. The failure of the regime in protecting the lives and property of citizens despite clear apprehensions expressed is condemnable and calls for action against those who failed in the performance of their duty, she said.

She said that the extensive damage to property could have been prevented if the administration had performed its duty and if the Musharraf regime was sensitive to rights of the minorities. Mohtarma said that Chief Minister Punjab and his administration did not seem to care about the rights of the people. She said that the massive human rights abuses that took place on the orders of the Chief Minister in the Punjab upon the arrival of Mr. Zardari to Pakistan in April 2005, the barbaric treatment meted out to Asma Jehangir UN Rapporteur during a public protest against Marathons, the crude manipulation of the law in the local elections to arrest political rivals and otherwise force them to abdicate their parties and their conscience as well as a host of other issues demonstrated a systematic pattern of oppression and repression of the most immoderate, intolerant and extremist kind by the Chief Minister and his administration. The attack on the minority community was another example in a sordid tale of extremism that existed in the province, which refused to respect the laws of the land or of pluralistic societies.

The former Prime Minister said that it was not the first or isolated incident of its kind against minorities and their places of worship despite the injunctions of the Founder of Pakistan towards respecting freedom of worship. Similar incidents had taken place in the past as well without any action on the part of the regime. It is a deplorable feature of Musharraf's so called moderation that extremists first accuse someone of blasphemy and then openly preach from the pulpit lynching of the accused and then walking away free from the crime, she said.

In July 2002 in a shocking incident a blasphemy accused was stoned to death in Jaranwala. Blasphemy accused having also been murdered in custody by fellow prisoners and police guards. There have also been cases of gunning down of those acquitted by courts of law of charges of blasphemy.

The human rights bodies and civil society must ponder as to why the attackers in all such cases have not been brought to book during Musharraf dictatorship, she said.

She said that no body condoned blasphemy but no one should be permitted to take law into their hands for settling personal scores in the name of blasphemy.

Mohtarma Bhutto said that an entire community had been terrorised in Nankana's Sangala Hill area and it was imperative that the rulers restored the shattered confidence of the minority community.

She demanded that those who have suffered losses must be compensated and reassured to feel secure in their homes and places of worship.

Mohtarma Bhutto also condoled with those who have suffered so grievously in the violence.

Senate body requisitioned to probe hiring of foreign consultants

Islamabad Nov 17, 2005: The opposition in the Senate has requisitioned a meeting of the Senate Committee on Social Welfare and Special Education to probe the hiring of foreign consultants hired by the Ministry for its various projects.

The notice signed by three opposition members of the Committee namely Farhatullah Babar and Enver Baig of PPP and Professor Ghafoor Ahmad of MMA was submitted in the Senate secretariat on Wednesday Nov 16. The notice said, "The press reports of hiring of consultant allegedly for 64 % of the total project cost has raised serious questions about the need for foreign consultants, procedures of their selection and their qualification besides grave issue of transparency and accountability involved in it".

It is an issue of public importance for which a meeting of the Senate Committee be called to discuss the same, the notice said.

Under the Rules of Procedure of the Senate a requisitioned meeting has to be called within two weeks by the chairperson of the Committee and if he or she fails to do so the Secretary of the Committee shall automatically call the meeting within three weeks. Senator Nighat Agha is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Special Education and social Welfare.

The press reports said that the minister for special education had appointed a consultant despite objections by senior officers of her own ministry about the procedure and lack of transparency in hiring consultants. In the reported case a foreign consultant was hired by the minister at a fee of 30,000 pounds which was almost two third the total grant given for the project by the foreign donors.

The opposition senators have asked the Ministry to bring up the record of all the foreign and local consultants hired by it for different projects.

Mohtarma Bhutto thanks world leaders for support

Islamabad November 17, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has thanked all heads of States/Governments of donors countries for their assistance in the relief and rehabilitation of quake affected areas in Pakistan.

'By your sharing our sorrows and contributing to our relief and rehabilitation efforts, we have been highly encouraged in our time of tribulation', she said in a letter addressed to the heads of state and government.

Following is the text of her letter.

"On behalf of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the people of Pakistan, I take this opportunity to thank you for coming to the assistance of the Pakistani Nation in its hour of need following the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005. Your Country's generous support to the victims of the tragedy reaffirmed the principle moral that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

"The moral and material support extended by your country is an extension of your sympathy in response to the suffering of the earthquake affected people of Pakistan. This sympathy and support means so much to us as we try to rebuild the shattered lives and cities that now pose enormous challenges to a nation afflicted with great poverty and backwardness. By your sharing our sorrows and contributing to our relief and rehabilitation efforts, we have been highly encouraged in our time of tribulation. The people of Pakistan will remember this support for a long time to come.

"I look forward to the continuing cooperation between our two countries in the global village where we are supposed to share the joys and sorrows of one another".

Pakistan: Donors Need Accountability on Human Rights

New York, November 16, 2005 — A recent attack by Pakistani police on a camp of earthquake survivors highlights why international donors must insist on human rights protection in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Human Rights Watch said today. International donors are gathering in Islamabad on Friday to discuss aid for victims of the October 8 earthquake.

Pakistani police used canes and rifle butts to break up a march on November 11 by approximately 200 earthquake survivors protesting eviction from their makeshift camp in the Kashmiri city of Muzaffarabad. Though the police denied attempting to forcibly evict the earthquake survivors, witnesses told Human Rights Watch that police arrived early last Friday at the Jalalabad Garden camp and told the quake victims to leave by sunset. Several protestors, including children, were injured as a result of police efforts to break up the demonstration. The authorities subsequently backtracked and only a few refugees have moved from the camp, which is still functional.

“The challenges of responding to the earthquake do not give the Pakistani police license to attack quake victims,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Homeless people understandably are worried if they are asked to move without assurances that they will have the scarce necessities of life at a new location.”

In the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir, an internationally disputed territory, the military essentially runs the region as its own fiefdom. The Pakistani government does not tolerate dissent in Kashmir, and the authorities ban or harass opposition political parties.

In recent weeks, the Pakistani military authorities have also discouraged negative media coverage of Pakistan’s response to the earthquake. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf expressed his displeasure at excessive criticism at a press conference in October.

On Monday, Pakistan’s government-run electronic media regulatory authority, PEMRA, stopped three local partners of the BBC from broadcasting two daily 30-minute “earthquake specials” produced by the BBC’s Urdu service. PEMRA officials, accompanied by dozens of armed policemen, seized equipment from one of the local partner’s Karachi offices and ordered two satellite television partners to stop running news content from the BBC. Pakistan’s information minister declined to comment on the incident when approached by the BBC.

“Now is the time for more information about the relief effort, not less,” said Adams. “Donors should make it clear to the Pakistani government that attempts to muzzle reporting on relief efforts are unacceptable.”

Human Rights Watch called on the international community to ensure that there is greater civilian oversight of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. So far, there has been little sign of any civilian oversight of aid inflows. Aid should be handled through a process that involves the Pakistan-administered Kashmir government, political parties in Pakistan-administered Kashmir as well as local, national and international non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups, particularly those working in the field.

In addition, Human Rights Watch called for independent auditing of relief funds and materials to ensure transparency and accountability. Contracts for reconstruction should be handled through proper procurement procedures that allow bidding by private agencies, and not just military entities.

Aid should be distributed without regard to political affiliation. In particular, there should be no discrimination against Kashmiri nationalists who do not support Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan or refugees who have entered Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir since 1991. These groups have faced systematic discrimination and violations of their human rights at the hands of the Pakistan Army, its security agencies, and the Pakistan-administered Kashmir government acting at the behest of Islamabad.

“Given its record of abuse and corruption, the Pakistani military should not be given carte blanche in the relief efforts,” said Adams. “To keep the process honest, civil society must be given a significant role both in delivery and oversight.”

Human Rights Watch urged donors to be as generous as possible in order to avert a humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches in the mountainous regions of Northern Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

For more information, please contact:

In London, Ali Dayan Hasan: +44 07887 817110 (mobile)

In Washington DC, Veena Siddharth: +1 202 612 4341 (office)

In Brussels, Vanessa Saenen: +32-486-506512 (mobile)

Postponement of Briefing by ERRA and Federal Relief Commission denounced

It is a manifestation of the mindset not to submit to Parliamentary scrutiny

Islamabad November 16, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has condemned the sudden postponement of briefing by Earthquake Reconstruction Authority.

(ERRA) and Federal Relief Commission (FRC) to the joint meeting of the defense committees of Senate and National Assembly scheduled for Thursday.

A joint briefing by ERRA Chairman Lt General Zubair and FRC head Major General Farooq scheduled for today (Thursday) in the Parliament House was postponed late Wednesday evening for what has been officially described as the preoccupation of the heads of two organizations with the donors conference on Saturday November 19.

It is a lame excuse that the heads of the two organizations were busy with the donors’ conference, Senator Farhatullah Babar spokesman of the PPP said in a statement today. "The briefing by the two organizations to the joint Parliamentary committee was notified knowing full well that the donors’ conference had been scheduled for Saturday".

"It is a manifestation of the mindset that disdains Parliament, does not believe in transparency, hates transparency and refuses to submit to accountability".

He said that this was not the first time that the Parliamentary scrutiny has been avoided. Recently the Chairman Fauji Foundation a former Lt General, Chairman NAB a serving Lt General and Director General Rangers a serving major General have all used different pretexts to avoid appearing before parliamentary committees to answer specific questions relating to them.

The cancellation shows that a deliberate effort is afoot to keep the reconstruction work shrouded in secrecy and kept out of the ambit of Parliament and accountability, he said.

General Pervez Musharraf has been robbed of whatever little chance there was for him to enter the Donors Conference with fake claims of transparency, accountability and national consensus in the reconstruction effort, he said.

The reconstruction work is estimated to cast over five billion dollars or 300 billion rupees which is almost one third of the national budget. The refusal to even brief the Parliamentary Committee is a clear message that one third of the national budget is planned to be spent by a few individuals without parliamentary scrutiny.

The chance to dispel the perception that the edifice of reconstruction rests solely upon the wisdom of one or few individuals and not on national consensus has been lost, he said.

It will be a catastrophe if the donors turned their backs because the ‘comprehensive plan’ was perceived to be lacking in consensus or was not resting on solid institutional foundations or that its sponsors were not prepared to even brief the Parliament about it.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto reiterates her resolve for political liberty and democracy

Islamabad, 16 November 2005: Former Prime Minister and the Chairperson Pakistan People Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was amongst several world leaders that spoke at the Abu Dhabi Global Business Enterprise Leadership Conference yesterday. Others who spoke on the occasion included former U S President Bill Clinton, former Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidate Senator John Edwards, Minister of Education, UAE and Richard Branson founder of Virgin records and Virgin airline.

Mohtarma Bhutto spoke of her life and how she made the transition into politics. Her speech was widely welcomed by participants. According to the Khaleej Times, she got a standing ovation.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in her address said, "My election broke the myth that a woman could not be elected Prime Minister in a Muslim country. It stirred a debate in the entire Muslim world. The lead scholar in Saudi Arabia gave a Fatwa, a religious edict, against my election. But other religious scholars supported me. I especially remember the religious scholars in Egypt, Syria and Yemen. The religious scholar in Yemen said that Islam permitted a woman to govern a Muslim country. He said the Holy book of the Muslims referred to the rule of Queen Sheba in laudatory terms noting that her reign brought prosperity to her people. But the fanatics in Pakistan were deeply upset at my election. They dreamt of spreading the ideological frontiers of Islam through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia to the borders of Europe. Elements of the military that had fought the Afghan Jihad as a religious war against godless communism also opposed me. They refused to salute me and engaged in covert conspiracies to overthrow me."

Regarding here opposition by the fundamentalists, she said, "My opponents turned to a then not so well known Osma Bin Laden for help. They called him back from Saudi Arabia where he had returned following the decision of the Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989. They asked him for ten million dollars to bring down the Government I led. In return they promised to legislate a religious bill turning Pakistan into a theocratic state. Until today the fanatics who believe in a war between the Muslims and the Non-Muslims fear my popularity and the strength of my Party. They see us as a symbol of a modern Muslim state, pluralistic, democratic, tolerant, respecting freedom and human rights. They fear the empowerment of the people which challenges authoritarian forms of government."

About her continued victimisation, she said, "I faced many challenges since 1996. My husband was arrested the night my government was overthrown. He was held hostage to my political struggle for 8 long years. I am continuously told that the web of legal cases woven around my family and myself can be broken if I announce my abdication from political life. I do not do so. I know that my duty to my people comes first, for the sake of my children and all the children of Pakistan. My duty to Pakistan's democratic struggle is one baptized in blood. During this struggle, I lost both my brothers who were killed in the prime of their lives."

She said, "it is critical that women enter the 21st Century ready to accept the challenges of a modern world. Despite the constraints of a political system that was all too often rigged against democrats, and a social system that was biased against women, when I became prime Minister of Pakistan I used my office to try to reverse centuries of discrimination. My tenure was a textbook affirmative action program against gender discrimination. We increased literacy by one-third, even more dramatically among girls. We brought down the population growth rate by establishing women's health clinics in thousands of communities across our Nation. We outlawed domestic violence and established special women's police forces to protect and defend the women of Pakistan. We appointed women judges to our nation's benches for the first time in our history. We instituted a new program of hiring women police officers to investigate crimes of domestic violence against the women of Pakistan. We encouraged women's and girl's participation in sports, both nationally and internationally by lifting the ban imposed on their participation. We held a Muslim Women's Olympics. We held the first meeting of a Muslim Women's Parliamentary Conference. The record I accomplished is one in which I have great pride. Despite the reversals in my homeland -- the progress that we made raised the bar of expectations and cannot long be ignored."

"When political forces, political parties and political leaders can finally come to realize and fully appreciate that they have a fundamental obligation to society, the world can gallop into the unlimited social, educational, global and scientific promise of the 21st century", she said.

Following is the press text of her speech:

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to appear before this unique, truly extraordinary gathering of leaders from all around the world, converging on the United Arab Emirates as an emerging centre of economic, political and intellectual innovation.

Blessed by resource and unlimited opportunity, it is significant that it is here in the UAE, where I have chosen to live and raise my children.

Here I pay tribute to the late President Shaikh Zayed.

He was a father to his people, to the larger Arab world and he was also like a father to me.

I shall always remember him in my heart for allowing me a home away from home, here in the UAE and for his contributions to Pakistan's development.

And I will never forget the warmness of your welcome, the openness of your hospitality and the humanity of your people.

To all of you, Salaam Aleichem, May Peace Be With You.

I am asked to share my life story with you and to speak on leadership.

I am a daughter of the desert sands of Sindh in Pakistan. It is an ancient land, a land of saints, Sufis and mystics.

I grew up in the shadow of Moen Jo Daro, the 5000 year old civilization which once traded with Baghdad and Bukhara and through them with Europe and the Far East.

My father would tell me fascinating historical tales of conquest and victory.

I learnt of how the Greek Conqueror Alexander the Great was bitten by a mosquito in Sindh developing a fever that killed him in Babylon.

I learnt of how the mighty can be brought down by the weakest. I learnt that in the greatest adventures one must never forget the smallest details.

Islam first came to South Asia through Sindh. An Arab conqueror by the name of Mohammad Bin Qasim landed on the shores by sea bringing the message of equality that would spread far and wide in the year 712 A.D.

There was a great emphasis on roots and on the values of courage, integrity loyalty, knowledge, honour, duty, responsibility and pride passed on from generation to generation.

Sindh was largely a tribal society when I was child. Identity lay in the family, in the tribe, in the soil and in religion. One's duty was to uphold the good name of the whole, of which we as individuals were a part of.

I heard that I was an heir to the greatness of Islam which proclaimed equality between the rich and the poor, between the male and female, between the strong and the weak.

I read and re-read how the powerful conqueror of Sindh Mohammad Bin Qasim was sentenced to death in the cause of justice. He had failed to protect the dignity of a woman and was punished losing his life.

It showed me the importance of the rights of women and it underlined the importance of justice in Islam for building a truly civilized society. That example, seared into the memory of a young child, become a part of my life and my struggle.

There was much poverty in those days in my country. There were few roads, drinking water was scarce, people were so poor that they were often shirtless and shoeless. Little children ran naked in the dusty, dirty village lanes with open sewerage gutters. Cow dung was used for cooking and as fertilizer.

A midst this squalor and deprivation, there were a few large families with enormous land holdings and industrial wealth.

My father told me it was wrong that so many should be so poor when so few were so rich. He told me that the Islamic law of inheritance ensured the distribution of wealth rather than its concentration. He imbibed in me the spirit of social reform and the principle of social equality-goals that he fought for and which became mine.

I came from a political family. My grandfather formed the first political party in Sindh and brought out its first newspaper. He led the movement to separate Muslim Sindh from Hindu Bombay in the thirties which culminated in the demand for Pakistan in the forties -- A separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia.

I grew up as a pampered child of privileged family with political and social dominance.

From the young age of 5, I was under public scrutiny, the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Because of that public scrutiny, I was taught to always be on guard, on watch, not to make a slip, to keep my head high, to hide my emotions, to perform my duty, to smile and walk on because "when you smile, the world smiles with you" and "when you cry, you cry alone".

I was shy and led an insulated life. Except for my cousins and a few close friends, I did not mix much with other children. We feared that fame brings fair weather friends and kept to ourselves. We learnt that the price of fame can be loneliness - to avoid gossip we kept our distance, always protected, shadowed, chaperoned.

Obedience to parents, to teachers, to God were the hallmarks of my young life.

Moral duty was drilled into us; "To whom God gives much, much is expected."

In 1966, in our ancestral home in Larkana, when I turned 13, my Mother made me wear a Burqa, the all enveloping black cloth covering the body from head to toe. As the veil billowed over my body and covered my eyes, I felt hot, constrained and the world looked grey through the mists of the veil.

For centuries women in my family had worn the veil. For centuries women had either married cousins or, if they were unavailable, remained unmarried. This ensured that the property women inherited under Islam did not leave the family.

But now my life was to change. My father was an emancipated man, a reformer who broke the bastions of tradition and changed the direction of his family, his country and our region.

He took one look at me in the Burqa as I arrived home and said, " I don't want my daughter wearing the veil." He told me that Muslims believe that the best veil is the veil in the eyes of a person.

It was a man, a very special man, my father, who set me on the road to modernity.

When I turned sixteen, my father decided to send me abroad for education.

My female relatives opposed my father's decision. They begged him to change his mind. The destiny of a young woman in those days was to make a good marriage, a good home and raise good children.

Before I left for Harvard, my father took me to our lands in Larkana.

Here the peasants sweated under the sun taking care of the fields of wheat and cotton.

My father said, "see how hard these men work. You must seek knowledge abroad and then return to serve your own people. Do not be so dazzled by the bright lights as to forget your roots and the land that gave you birth."

Then he took me to our family graveyard where for generations our ancestors lay. "Whenever you go in the world" he said "this is where you will ultimately return. You are part of this dust and this dust is part of you."

As a farewell present, my father gave me the Holy Book of the Muslims inlaid with precious mother of Pearl. He hugged me and kissed me. He often joked that I was too argumentative. His parting words of advice to me were "Don't argue with Immigration Officers or taxi drivers."

And so at 16 I left with my mother and my Afghan Pashmina coat for Cambridge Massachusetts-to a new world.

For the first time I met people who did not know who I was, or where my country was.

"Pakistan: where's that?" they'd ask.

While I was a student at Harvard, A separatist movement in present day Bangladesh had torn my country apart. I refused to believe Pakistani troops could commit genocide in then East Pakistan. I got into furious arguments with those I found criticizing my country.

Patriotism burned deep in my heart.

At 17 I addressed the Asia Society and wrote a letter to Life Magazine defending the Egyptian President Nasser's decision to built the Aswan Dam.

As a child of my age, I was influenced by the social ferment around me. It was a time of student power.

It was a time of war. American forces were engaged in Vietnam. As an Asian at Harvard, I felt strongly about the war in Vietnam.

I joined other students to protest it.

It was a time of white minority rule in parts of Africa. The fight against apartheid shaped my commitment to stand up for the principle of equality between men irrespective of race or colour.

The women's movement had began and with it the debate about women's role in society.

As a Muslim women I felt strongly about gender rights. The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had married a working woman, a business woman. He had stopped violence against women prohibiting the burial of the girl child. Islam proclaimed that paradise lay beneath the feet of the mother and that on the day of judgment we'd be called by our mother's names.

The movement for women's rights empowered and emboldened me.

It was a time when Martin Luther King defended the rights of the African American and Robert Kennedy spoke for the underprivileged of America. It was an era of civil rights and morality where values, rather than force, shaped the destiny of society and of humanity.

These important steps helped shape my outlook on life, helped me focus on fighting injustice, promoting freedom, safeguarding the rights of the discriminated and dispossessed.

I was in America during the impeachment proceedings that brought down it's President Nixon.

I saw the awesome power of the people to change policies, to change leaders and to change history.

I marveled at the power of a people to bring down a government. I lived in a dictatorship. Those criticizing the President ended up in prison or faced assassination attempts.

From Harvard I went to Oxford University in London.

Brought up with the belief that all people are equal, irrespective of race, religion, colour, caste or creed, I was shocked to see racism rear its ugly head.

The British Politician Enoch Powell was threatening to throw all Asians into the sea.

I loved Oxford with its cobbled streets and college spires. I walked the streets my father had once walked. I learnt to punt on the river and attend strawberry and cream picnics.

While I was at Oxford the Conservative Party chose a women, Margaret Thatcher, as leader of the opposition. The idea of the first female British Prime Minister became an intense topic of discussion amongst students.

There were many who believed that the Conservative Party could never win an election because it was led by a woman.

My father, who had become Prime Minister by now, thought otherwise.

He invited Mrs. Thatcher to Pakistan as his guest during the summer, to ensure that I would be there. I attended his dinner for Mrs. Thatcher. Later Mrs. Thatcher invited me to the British House of Parliament, the House of Commons the seat of the mother of all democracies. I was introduced to the world of politics.

My interest in international affairs was growing but I still did not want to enter politics.

My father would regale me with stories about Joan of Arc, Mrs. Bandarnaike the world's first woman Prime Minister and Mrs. Gandhi of India. Moreover, Mrs. Golda Meir had been Prime Minister of Israel during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. All the civilizations of the world had women Prime Ministers except for the Islamic civilization. Yet it was Islam which had given the clarion call for gender equality. My father believed that I was the one who would right the historic balance.

Despite my reluctance, he clearly saw a political role for me. He groomed me for politics and motivated me with role models.

I joined the Oxford Union Students Debating Society because my father wanted me too. Many British Prime Ministers had started their political careers as Presidents of the Oxford Union. Even though he did not say it, I felt my father wanted me to run for office there too. So I did.

At Oxford I was the first female foreigner to be elected as President of the Oxford Union.

It is said that the Oxford Union is the training ground for British politics. The entry and exit doors have "Push" and "Pull" written on them. We joked that politics was all about pushing and pulling up the greasy ladder of success.

It was there that I first learnt to debate.

I returned to Pakistan in the summer of 1977 planning to join the foreign service.

Within a week of my return to Pakistan, my life changed dramatically.

A military coup took place. Army tanks had surrounded the Prime Minister's house. Our life and family was never to be the same again.

My father was taken away. I ran to the door as he walked out of the house. I watched the car leave the drive way taking my father to an unknown destination, with the sun glowing off the car's metal plate with the Prime Minister Seal.

As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I declined to return to live in the Prime Minister's House. It held too many painful memories for me.

My father was later released and greeted by hundreds of thousands of people. They swarmed around him pouring out their love and affection.

Shortly there after I was woken in the night with armed men barging into my room waving guns and jumping over the place. They were all over the house. My father was arrested again and taken away.

He was released, re-arrested, and finally hanged amidst international outrage at the age of fifty.

A few hours before my Father's murder, my Mother and I went to see him in the squalid death cell where the military tyrants had kept him. We went to bid him farewell. His courage in the face of death remains with me.

It was then, in that final meeting that I decided come what may, I would continue his mission and his work for a democratic Pakistan with equal rights for all its citizens.

During the long dark night of military dictatorship, lasting eleven years, my mother and I were repeatedly arrested, kept apart, in solitarily confinement amidst harsh conditions. Every attempt was made to break our will but we remained strong bolstered by the love of the people who supported us.

Our supporters were whiplashed, tortured, shot and hanged. But they never wavered. Some went to the gallows with my father's name on their lips, others were buried with their coffins covered in the tricoloured party flag.

My mother was baton charged and denied proper treatment. Today she suffers from a form of Alzheimer's her doctors say was brought on by improper treatment of that head wound.

I spent nearly six years behind bars, often in solitary confinement. During the summers it was unbearably hot and during the winters it was brutally cold. The conditions in the cell were primitive. Mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, dust storms and dryness were constant companions as was loneliness and a lack of communication with the outside world.

I spent long hours in prayer. My belief in God sustained me when each moment seemed an hour, each hour a day. Through out this period, I was confident that we would triumph, confident that truth would prevail, confident that those who are patient and persevere are rewarded with victory. I never lost hope. I never gave up.

I was told that the death cells were being emptied for me as part of the psychological warfare to break my spirit. But I held to the belief that life and death are in God's hands.

By the time I was freed into exile through international pressure, I was anorexic. My hearing and eyesight were affected forever. My face muscles hurt when I talked. They had atrophied through the years of silence. Freed from the grey walls of my prison cell, I found it hard to adjust to sunlight, to the noise of peoples voices, to ordinary conversation.

My family background and long years of imprisonment made me the rallying point for the democratic movement. I returned to Pakistan in 1986 welcomed by millions of Pakistanis who demanded an end to dictatorship.

And when I got married and expected my first child in 1988, the military dictator called for elections. He thought a pregnant woman could not campaign. I could, and I did, and, with the support of the brave people of Pakistan, I was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan.

It was not an easy campaign. The religious parties that had supported the Afghan Jihad in Afghanistan opposed me. They claimed that the marriage of any man who voted for me would be null and void in the eyes of God. They claimed that the only place for a woman was behind the veil and the four walls of the house-Not in government.

They said it was a religious duty to kill me because I was challenging the right of men to rule the country and defying the tradition enforced on women. But I did not give up. And won.

Circumstances propelled me onto the road of leadership.

I find that leadership is born of a passion and it is a commitment. My commitment to democracy helped me walk the high mountain of success as well as the low valleys of imprisonment and exile.

Leadership demands a price from an individual and it also demands a price from the family.

I do not understand the work-life balance.

For me, success is 99% perspiration and one % inspiration.

My election broke the myth that a woman could not be elected Prime Minister in a Muslim country.

It stirred a debate in the entire Muslim world. The lead scholar in Saudi Arabia gave a Fatwa, a religious edict, against my election. But other religious scholars supported me. I especially remember the religious scholars in Egypt, Syria and Yemen. The religious scholar in Yemen said that Islam permitted a woman to govern a Muslim country. He said the Holy book of the Muslims referred to the rule of Queen Sheba in laudatory terms noting that her reign brought prosperity to her people.

But the fanatics in Pakistan were deeply upset at my election. They dreamt of spreading the ideological frontiers of Islam through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia to the borders of Europe.

Elements of the military that had fought the Afghan Jihad as a religious war against godless communism also opposed me. They refused to salute me and engaged in covert conspiracies to overthrow me.

My opponents turned to a then not so well known Osma Bin Laden for help. They called him back from Saudi Arabia where he had returned following the decision of the Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989. They asked him for ten million dollars to bring down the Government I led. In return they promised to legislate a religious bill turning Pakistan into a theocratic state.

Until today the fanatics who believe in a war between the Muslims and the Non-Muslims fear my popularity and the strength of my Party. They see us as a symbol of a modern Muslim state, pluralistic, democratic, tolerant, respecting freedom and human rights. They fear the empowerment of the people which challenges authoritarian forms of government.

Undeterred by the opposition, my party began the restructuring of the state.

We broke the bureaucratic public sector stranglehold becoming the first in the region to privatise, deregulate and decentralize our economy.

We opened up our markets transforming our economy from permits and permission to initiative and entrepreneurship.

As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I successfully built good relations with India through negotiations with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

I bargained with Afghan leaders to influence the formation of a moderate government in Kabul.

My government opened up trade and common links with Central Asia.

But the elements of the military establishment that had fought communism in Afghanistan and now wanted to take on the west did not give up. They twice destabilized the governments I led.

During both my stints in opposition, Pakistan was on the brink of being declared a terrorist state, during both times, the World Trade Towers were attacked and so were targets in India, including its Parliament.

It was during the eclipse of my government in 1996 that the Taliban seized all of Afghanistan. It was after my overthrow that Al Qaeda was established In Afghanistan and set up camps to train, recruit and arm young men from across the Muslim world.

Three years after my overthrow, the Trade Centres were attacked.

The course of history changed with the change of leadership in Pakistan.

In 2001, following President Bush's ultimatum to stand up and be counted as friend or foe, Islamabad said that it had adopted the policy of peace with India and Afghanistan which I had initiated.

However, the vendetta against Bhutto's daughter, the leader, the military Generals hanged, still continues. I am forced into exile where I now live.

But I have not given up and remain the symbol for a democratic future for my country.

I faced many challenges since 1996. My husband was arrested the night my government was overthrown. He was held hostage to my political struggle for 8 long years. I am continuously told that the web of legal cases woven around my family and myself can be broken if I announce my abdication from political life. I do not do so.

I know that my duty to my people comes first, for the sake of my children and all the children of Pakistan. My duty to Pakistan's democratic struggle is one baptized in blood. During this struggle, I lost both my brothers who were killed in the prime of their lives.

I have three children. They were very small when our troubles started. My youngest was three. I was their sole caretaker when my husband was in prison for 8 years. I believe women can combine career and motherhood.

It is critical that women enter the 21st Century ready to accept the challenges of a modern world.

My time in exile has coincided with the era of terrorism and the threat of the clash of cultures, of a potential breakdown of communication between the Islamic and non Islamic world.

I try to act as a bridge between different cultures, countries and continents.

I travel extensively internationally and explain the peaceful and tolerant message of Islam to international audiences to correct the misperceptions propagated by the extremists who exploit it to promote their politics of hate.

I visited India to promote a South Asia where there is peace and prosperity through open borders and trade. My political opponents have now accepted the wisdom of the policies for which I was once termed a "security risk."

When I was at Oxford, I won the Presidency of the Oxford Union debating that "The Pen is more powerful than the Sword."

I believe in the battle of ideas, and that no force can win a victory against an idea, a policy or a vision that is based on truth and justice.

I still believe the Pen is more Powerful than the Sword although the world has changed since I was a student at Oxford.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite the constraints of a political system that was all too often rigged against democrats, and a social system that was biased against women, when I became prime Minister of Pakistan I used my office to try to reverse centuries of discrimination.

My tenure was a textbook affirmative action program against gender discrimination. We increased literacy by one-third, even more dramatically among girls.

We brought down the population growth rate by establishing women's health clinics in thousands of communities across our Nation.

We outlawed domestic violence and established special women's police forces to protect and defend the women of Pakistan.

We appointed women judges to our nation's benches for the first time in our history.

We instituted a new program of hiring women police officers to investigate crimes of domestic violence against the women of Pakistan.

We encouraged women's and girl's participation in sports, both nationally and internationally by lifting the ban imposed on their participation.

We held a Muslim Women's Olympics.

We held the first meeting of a Muslim Women's Parliamentary Conference.

The record I accomplished is one in which I have great pride. Despite the reversals in my homeland -- the progress that we made raised the bar of expectations and cannot long be ignored.

In my commitment to political liberty and to democracy, I have never wavered.

Ladies and gentlemen,

When political forces, political parties and political leaders can finally come to realize and fully appreciate that they have a fundamental obligation to society, the world can gallop into the unlimited social, educational, global and scientific promise of the 21st century.

It is our job, yours and mine, to find answers.

It is our job, yours and mine, to find consensus.

It is our job to marginalize the extremes.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Robert F. Kennedy once said that "the future does not belong to those who are content with today.. Rather it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of society."

Vision, Reason and Courage.

Those are the true qualities of leadership and I leave you with those thoughts.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Islamabad, 14 November 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan People Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Senator Asif Ali zardari have condoled with the Administrative Officer, Zardari House Islamabad, Amjad Ikhlaq over his father’s death who passed away recently.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a condolence message addressed to Amjad Ikhlaq, wrote, "Senator Asif Ali Zardari and I are writing to condole the sad demise of your father. The loss of a parent is a great tragedy. Our sympathies are with you at this difficult time. Please accept our heartfelt condolences and convey the same to other members of the bereaved family."

She also prayed to Almighty Allah for the eternal peace for the departed soul and courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.

The following PPP leaders also condoled with Amjad Ikhlaq on telephone:

Senator Farooq Naek; Ms Naheed Khan MNA, Dr. Azra Afzal MNA, Ms Rukhsana Bangash MNA, Azra Bano MPA, Saima Bukhari MPA and Sabiha Syed MPA, Mr. Jameel Soomro MPA, Ex AJ&K Minister Iqbal Butt FC Member, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's Secretary Brig. (Retd) Amanullah, MBB's Staff Officer Mahmood Ahmed, Incharge Central Secretariat (Commissioner (Retd)) Kamran Zafar, Mehrunnisa Affridi (Ex. MNA) President NWFP Women Wing, Chief Coordinator Ibne Muhammad Rizvi, Bilawal House Incharge Muhammad Urs, Mr Asif Zardari's PS Dr Qayum Soomro, Central Secretariat Staff Ansar Gillani and Javaid Mir.

Mohtarma Bhutto condoles with Aftab Shahban Mirani

Islamabad, 14 November 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan People Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Senator Asif Ali zardari have condoled with Aftab Shahban Mirani over his sister’s death.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a condolence message addressed to Aftab Shahban Mirani, wrote, "Senator Asif Ali Zardari and I are writing to condole the sad demise of your sister who passed away on November 10, 2005 in Karachi. Please accept our heartfelt condolences and convey the same to other members of the bereaved family."

She also prayed to Almighty Allah for the eternal peace for the departed soul and courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto pays rich tributes to Amrita Pritam

Islamabad, 14 November 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has paid glowing tributes to the renowned poetess, novelist and Women Rights Activist, Amrita Pritam in a message to the Literary Reference organised by the Chairman World Punjabi Congress, Fakhr Zaman in Lahore today.

Following is the text of the message:

"I wish to compliment The World Punjabi Congress and its Chairman Fakhr Zaman for organising a literary reference to pay homage to eminent poetess and novelist of the sub continent Amrita Pritam who died on October 31.

"Amrita Pritam is one of those rare writers who attain the status of a legend in their own life time. Throughout her life she fought a courageous battle against extremism and obscurantism advocating peace and harmony.

"As member of the Parliament, she forcefully articulated the cause of women empowerment and raised her powerful voice against gender discrimination. She never compromised on intellectual integrity and lived with poise and dignity a life that was full of creativity.

"Her poignant commentary on the massacre at the time of partition must stir the souls of the coldest readers in any age and in any clime. Moved by the traumatic events of her age she learnt the need to seek refuge in Sufism in the most troubling times. Her cry "Today I ask Waris Shah to rise in his grave and speak" shook the conscience of millions in the region.

"The recipient of highest National Awards in India and several International Awards, Amrita Pritanm will continue to inspire generations with her message of love and peace.

"It would be a befitting tribute to the memory of Amrita Pritam if her works in the Punjabi and Hindi languages are also translated into the regional languages of Pakistan and widely distributed. I hope the World Punjabi Congress and its Chairman Fakhr Zaman will give it a serious thought."

Senator Khawaja Demands an immediate audit of NCHD/PHDF

Islamabad November 12, 2005: PPP Senator and member of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs Senator Akbar Khawaja has issued the following statement today.

"The ruling by Senate Chairman on Friday to refer the matter of audit of government doles to a private NGO called the Pakistan Human Development Fund (PHDF) to a House Committee is welcome.

"It is recalled that the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in its meeting in June 2005 had also taken note of the matter and recommended audit of all funds given to National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and parked at the Pakistan Human Development Fund (PHDF) by the Auditor General of Pakistan. These recommendations were also placed before the House and endorsed by it.

"At the June meeting several members of the Senate Committee on Finance expressed grave concern over the delay in the audit of NCHD/PHDF by The AG as required under Article 169 of the Constitution. The Committee had also unanimously decided that any release of government funds to NCHD/PHDF must be subject to the satisfactory audit report by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP).

"Although issues of misuse and illegal parking of NCHD funds at PHDF has been raised earlier also in the Senate but state officials are tight lipped as General Musharaf is a Patron of PHDF and Mr. Shaukat Aziz sits on PHDF Board of Directors.

"Media has widely commented on the unconstitutional transfer of NCHD funds to PHDF and termed it as one of the biggest financial scams of the Military Regime.

"The government on Friday admitted the transfer of over 2 billion rupees from public exchequer to a private NGO called the PHDF. When the truth is out it may well be found out that another $18 million foreign funds collected for NCHD were also unconstitutionally transferred to PHDF.

"It is a scandal of monumental proportions that while Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and genuine political leaders are being hounded and chased in the name of accountability the regime is trying to cover up corruption in its own ranks.

"The Pakistan Peoples Party stands for transparency and accountability and therefore as a member of the Party it is my duty to urge civil society to raise its voice, expose the scandal, stop the pilfering of peoples’ hard earned money and put to an end the politically motivated witch hunt of opposition leadership in the name of accountability".

Inquiry before Swiss Magistrate on November 19

Islamabad November 11, 2005: Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto will appear before the Swiss Inquiry Magistrate on November 24 and November 25 to assist the inquiry triggered by politically motivated allegations of abuse of office made by the regime in Islamabad said spokesman of the Party in a statement today.

It may be recalled that none of the allegations have been proven in Pakistan as they are false. Therefore it is surprising that the Geneva authorities have allowed the investigations to go ahead without proof of abuse of office by Mohtarma. It may also be noted that the SGS company had charges of corruption dropped against them and are no longer being investigated in Pakistan or in Geneva.

Mohtarma Bhutto last appeared before the investigative Magistrate on September 19.

Assisted by a Swiss defence lawyer Mohtarma Bhutto had informed the Investigation Magistrate at the last appearance that the Swiss companies allegedly involved in money laundering were not hers. She had also said that the pre-shipment inspection contract was awarded to SGS in a transparent and open manner and there was no underhand dealing involved in the award of contract.

The military rulers in Pakistan have been pushing this investigation only to put pressure on Mohtarma Bhutto to quit politics. They have spent enormous sums of money on the matter and have not stopped despite the earthquake in Pakistan.

Mohtarma Bhutto has however refused to be blackmailed in the last nine years and refuses to be blackmailed even now, he said.

The former Prime Minister was fighting military dictatorship in the country, which had broken and bent every rule in the book and resorted to back dated laws to eliminate her, the spokesman said.

The military dictatorship was against the women as was manifested by the callous remarks of General Musharraf in Washington saying that the women in Pakistan got themselves raped to make money or get foreign visas.

Mohtarma Bhutto said she would contest the charges rather than give in to the Musharraf demand to quit politics and not contest the next elections as she opposes military dictatorship, he said.

PPP compiles comprehensive report on rigging in Local Bodies elections

Islamabad, 09 November 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has undertaken compilation of a comprehensive report on rigging in the local bodies’ polls and the first instalment of the report focussing on Khairpur Mirs in Sindh has been completed.

The report compiled by former district Nazima Nafisa Shah gives a detailed account of how the elections were stolen by the provincial chief minister and the minister for Communication and Works Saddardin Shah.

The report gives specific examples of how the opposition candidates were threatened and violence, intimidation and human rights violations were committed by the ruling coalition candidates.

The report says that in Khairpur Mir’s all powers over administration were handed over to the son of Pir of Pagaro, Saddardin Shah, the Minister of Communications and Works. It is on record, that he called the last District Police Officer Imran Yaqoob to dinner earlier in the year and asked him to assist him in the elections.

The District Police Officer went on record himself in the press stating that he has been asked by the ruling party minister to win the elections for him but he clearly declined, saying that his job was to maintain law and order and no further. Subsequently, the District Police Officer was transferred and replaced by a ranker Fayyaz Qureishi with a single point agenda to win the election for the Pir. Nearly all police stations were given to the henchmen of the Pir’s son or his protégés’ henchmen, all in the context of the forth-coming elections. All postings and transfers of all district officials despite the presence of a district government were carried out by the agents of the Minister who was awarded the responsibility of elections and given the licence to do all as he pleased.

Regarding pre-poll rigging the report says, "The Minister, Communication and Works Saddardin Shah, masterminded the operation of rigging and used the services of the District Police Officer and the District Coordination Officer. The District Coordination Officer allowed his office to be used as election cell, where Minister Saddardin Shah used to organize meetings. Such references were sent to the Chief Election Commissioner for enquiry but excepting for in ineffective letter of enquiry no further action was taken. The pre-poll methods of rigging were to discourage the Awam Dost candidates from contesting or even fielding candidates for the contest. A large number of candidates who filled forms with the party were intimidated and threatened. At the time of the scrutiny, proposers and seconders, Nazims and Naibnazims, were harassed, kidnapped in large numbers. Those who had relatives in the police or revenue or any other government office were threatened personally by the Minister who said that they would have to be removed from service if they failed to cooperate with the government party. This resulted in several of Awam Dost candidates running out of contest".

"A large number of ballot boxes and ballot papers were leaked out to the official candidates, as the anecdotal evidence suggests. Anywhere between 500 to one thousand ballots were provided to them before the polling day, as the reports from the presiding staff shows. Large-scale victimization, led to the entire Naro Taluka to go uncontested, as many Nazims, Naibnazims, members unofficially withdrew from the race to save their honour, life, property", the report says.

Regarding polling day rigging the report states, "Violence, Firing and raiding and intimidation took place through which several polling stations were attacked by groups of dacoits and criminals accompanied by the Khairpur Dost candidates, carrying firearms who overpowered the polling stations and began to stamp the ballots and stuff the ballot boxes. Khadim Aradin, in charge of Hur Force in Nara, along with several other Hurs in half a dozen cars, went to polling stations Babur Wada in Naseer Fakir Jalani, in Bozdar Wada High School, in Luqman Soomra Mohallah, in Seri in Union Council Mandan, and overpowered the polling staff and began to stamp votes in favour of the Khairpur Dost Panel. In the ensuing violence as a result of the criminal onslaught in the district two people were killed, both were voters. One voter was killed point-blank by candidate’s supporters in Union Council Sagyoon, and the other voter suffered a heart attack in a fight in a polling station in Sabbar Rind. In Union Council Shah Latif, Polling Station Mill Colony, at about 12 p.m, the Khairpur Dost candidate along with several hooligans, attacked the polling station and tried to take over the ballot".

Regarding the involvement of law enforcing agencies in the acts of rigging the report says, "The law enforcement agencies were collusive in the whole process, and sometimes clearly a party to it. This included Rangers who had been posted to create a semblance of neutrality. According to newspaper reports, the District Returning Officer had directed the law enforcement agencies to ensure the heavy deployment of Rangers and police in all sensitive polling stations. However there was little or no deployment even after declaring the polling stations sensitive. In fact a clearly one sided picture emerged, as only the polling stations identified by the government had Rangers posted".

The report says, "Female polling stations were largely targeted, many agents were beaten, locked, harassed by the male intruders who then stuffed votes. Female agents were locked up in Polling station Sagyoon, and in Polling Station Kandhar in Piryaloi, in Bozdar Wada High School. In Bozdar Wada, they were robbed of gold, bangles, and their chadors were taken away. In polling station Babur Wada, they were made victims to violence and beaten up, by the women members of government candidates and thrown out of the polling station. Most of the bogus voting took place in ladies booths".

The report further says, "Hundreds of people were deprived of vote. In polling stations in Pacca Chang and Hussain Pato, in UC Kandiari, polling was stopped at 4p.m and at least 200 people were deprived of vote. The Presiding Officer has given a written statement that he was directed by the police not to allow vote of those persons whose ID cards were not mentioned in the electoral roll, although the election commission’s electoral list allows all those in the list to vote. Similar practice was carried out in Polling Station Maroof rajper in Union Council Pacca Chang Faiz Ganj.

In Police Training College Polling Station in Union Council Nizamani, B Section police lathi-charged voters and dispersed them, took away the agents and manipulated the vote. Hundreds of others were deprived of vote by armed gangsters who blocked roads to the polling stations. This happened in Daud Goth Polling Station in Union Council Mehr Ali where people were injured in the attack, In Mengho Fakir Shar, in Union Council Sabar Rind and in Meher veesar, and as a result there was violence in these areas. In tens of polling stations, agents were either told to leave before, during or even after the count by the presiding officers. In some cases agents were provided results on blank sheets and then the presiding officers sat all night to manipulate the result. As a result, agents have not signed on the preliminary reports of the results. If there is any single evidence of malafide on part of the judiciary and government, it is this. That very few agents would have with them the record of election results signed and attested by the Presiding Officer. This absence of polling station record is a clear evidence of vast electoral fraud".

Regarding the post-poll rigging the report says, "The post poll rigging involved changing results, threatening or bribing presiding officers, sometimes even the returning officers to help the government backed candidates in securing the results that they desired. The results were not finalized or consolidated even until the fifth day of the elections, and figures kept juggling and changing in favour of the government candidates. The Awam Dost candidate of Union council Tando Mir Ali Faiz Mohammad Sial was declared winner on national television, and received a letter of congratulations but on one threatening phone call to a presiding officer, his result was changed and he was made to lose by 3 votes. The High court ordered recounting, but this too was flawed as all the votes that had only stamps but no signatures of presiding officers were included in the count, and further it was noted by the agents and lawyers that 75 ballots were missing from the earlier count. Now the ADP Nazim was made to lose by 51 votes".

Regarding the Third Phase Poll the report says, "The Awam Dost put up candidates in all eight Talukas, even in Nara, where we were left with only 7 councillors out of a total of 65. The Minister Communication and Works used full police and official protocol, through which he managed to keep his herd in control. He went about the whole district threatening officers, councillors and his own party men with dire consequences if they went out of shape and did not give him the officially desired results. He spent at least 15 days campaigning non-stop despite the fact that he was not supposed to do so according to the election code of conduct. Following violations took place with impunity".

Regarding Human Rights Violation the report says, "In the month preceding the 25th August Local government elections and after, unprecedented human rights violations took place. The target of the victimization campaign were candidates of largely the opposition Awam Dost group backed by Pakistan Peoples Party, their proposers, seconders, supporters, relatives and on the voting day, the victimization was enhanced to voters and agents of the Awam Dost Group. All those who dared to stand from the opposition platform were given threats, chased by the police, their relatives suspended or given warnings by the police. At least 8 sets of Nazim and Naibnazim were elected unopposed as a result of the victimization campaign".

The report says, "Vote is the basic constitutional right of every citizen of Pakistan and is the pivot on which the democratic principle rests. The above practices show how the sanctity of the secret ballot and freedom of every citizen to participate in elections has been violated. The electoral manipulation committed by the government of Sindh in the form of Minister Communication and Works, and his Khairpur Dost Panel eventually was not simply a fraud, it was a constitutional crime, in depriving hundreds of thousands of people to vote and appoint the persons of their choice into power".

Regarding the inefficiency and inability of the Election Commission to hold free and fair elections the repost says, "The Election Commission was perhaps the weakest institution in the context of the election. The Acting Election Commissioner did not have a fixed position, and had no authority. Most of the complaints went unheeded.

"Eventually, these elections were a metaphoric struggle, between the people and the dictatorial institutions. On the 18th and 25th, when people came out to vote, despite the knowledge that there will be manipulations, fraud, violence, it was their expression of resistance against the dictatorial forces. The two persons that died in Khairpur and hundreds who were injured or hurt is a manifestation, that this vote was not simply a statement of choice but a symbol of struggle against state banditry. On the one hand, government backed candidates election day strategy was to capture the ballot box, but on the other, the voters response was to fight back and protect the same very ballot box from violation".

"Finally, it may be used a document to use by historians when they are writing on the state of democracy in Pakistan. This little slice of history would demonstrate the dark and shady forces that have taken the country hostage. And would be an entirely new precedent of electoral fraud to be recorded" the report concludes.

PPP notes regime’s decision to review F-16 deal

Demands review of Saab-2000 deal and shifting of GHQ to Islamabad

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s Eid Day Message

Zardari’s Children Collect Relief Goods For Quake Victims

PPP distributes cash among affectees of Earthquake