BUREWALA: President Asif Ali Zardari has said Pakistan is on the path to improvement, adding that while conditions are better than before, complete stability will take time.
Addressing a public gathering in Vehari on Tuesday, he said Pakistan’s progress has always been the result of collective efforts. In an apparent reference to a political rival, he remarked that some leaders were accustomed to delivering daily speeches on television but lacked the resilience required in politics. “I spent 14 years in prison. When I met my children after years, they had grown taller than me,” he said, adding that hardships were part of political life and must be endured with patience.
He said national development depended on strengthening farmers and promoting modern agricultural practices. “Agriculture is the only sustainable solution to Pakistan’s economic challenges. “Fifty per cent of my partners are farmers,” he said and stressed the need to provide facilities to growers, ensure better crop returns and promote effective water management, urging better utilisation of river water resources, particularly from the Ravi.
The president acknowledged grievances among people of Balochistan and said political maturity and cooperation were essential for national cohesion. Referring to governance challenges in different provinces, including Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said sustainable progress required continuity of policies, warning that even a year of stagnation could push a country back by a decade.
He said he had tripled the salaries of judges during his tenure, emphasising that decisions were taken after careful consideration. “We want to leave behind leadership capable of steering Pakistan in the right direction,” he said. Reiterating his party’s longstanding position, he said Kashmir was Pakistan’s jugular vein and that not even an inch would be compromised. He credited Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with making Pakistan a nuclear power in view of regional threats and said political flexibility and maturity were essential for governance, adding that political cooperation helped counter extremist tendencies.
Earlier, the president arrived in Vehari on a two-day private visit and addressed a large gathering of party workers, traders and lawyers at the Shafqat Palace. He said imprisonment was endured with dignity, recalling that he faced years of incarceration without losing courage. He stressed the promotion of natural fertilizers and the development of local tractor manufacturing to support growers.
Emphasising the importance of water resources, he warned that future conflicts could arise over water and called for an effective strategy to manage water resources. He said Benazir Bhutto strengthened the country’s missile programme, making its defence impregnable. Women’s rights, housing provision and the promotion of education remain key priorities of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan termed the president’s visit to South Punjab significant for democratic stability. Industrialist Shehzad Ali Khan announced the establishment of a modern university in Vehari at an estimated cost of Rs1 billion. He said 12 acres would be allocated for the project, with his mother donating the land, and that education would be provided free of cost.
District Bar President Rao Shiraz Raza also addressed the gathering, while former bar president Mehr Liaquat Sanpal was present on the stage. Zardari also responded to questions from journalists at the conclusion of the event.
Former MNA Qurban Ali Chauhan confirmed his decision to join the PPP after meeting Zardari. His son, Khalid Mahmood Chauhan, had also been elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly. Qurban had earlier joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
