BB scents victory in fair polls
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Benazir Bhutto said here Saturday evening that her party would lead the nation and the country after the elections 2008, if it were not rigged and held in fair and transparent fashion.
Addressing first party workers convention in the NWFP after ending eight year self-exile here at the residence of former MPA Zahir Shah, the former Prime Minister said the PPP would participate in the elections and expressed the confidence that it would emerge the lone federal democratic party after the general elections. However, during her speech spread over an hour, she doubted credibility of the elections under the present setup and reiterated her stance for reconstitution of an independent Election Commission. She regretted that the Election Commission was not taking any step against those who were violating the code of conduct.
She termed President Musharraf’s decision to hang up his army uniform and lift the emergency as ‘positive step’ and a result of the struggle and sacrifices of the PPP, civil society members. She also welcomed President’s Musharraf move to allow her and PML (N) Chief Nawaz Sharif to return to the country and to contest the elections. Despite all these confidence building measures, ‘a lot’ still needed to be done, she maintained.Benazir Bhutto said, PPP was taking part in the elections under protest. She said she would not leave the field open to the opponents and will participate in the elections. She opined that if she boycotts the polls, it would provide an opportunity to the opponents to show to the world that elections were held in fair and transparent manner.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto told the emotionally charged crowd amidst clapping that she would plug all the ways which were leading to rigging of the polls and said she has been doing this since November three last when emergency was enforced in the county. She ridiculed the elements trying to weaken the PPP and said any attempt in this regard amounted to weakening the country. She reiterated that she would not leave the election field open to the political orphans who are making desperate efforts to keep the PPP out of the election race.
She claimed that rigging in the polls would tantamount to playing with the destiny of the country and it was not in the power of the people at the helm of affairs to crush the country’s biggest political party as it has very deep roots among the masses which was their real sources of strength. “Rigging in the polls will amount to strengthening the hands of the extremists and putting the integrity of the country at stake”, she told the workers.
Benazir Bhutto recalled her party’s long struggle against dictatorship in the country since late Z.A.Bhutto period and said it was proud of its past record as it was not groomed in the lap of a dictator. The PPP, she said, waged relentless movement for the restoration of democracy since the period of Field Marshal Ayub Khan till date. It was the PPP which was made target of violence and referred to May 12 last incident of Karachi, reception camp setup for former CJP in Islamabad, and October 18 last welcoming PPP procession to substantiate her view point.
The PPP never gave up its principled stand and always stand by it. She also told the people that she turned down all the offers of the government for the safe and sound release of her husband in return for staying away from the politics for ten years in 2002. PPP is the symbol of federation, she said, adding, it was the only party which kept intact the country.
The Chairperson of PPP expressed satisfaction over the President’s announcement about the lifting of emergency and the PCO by December 15 next. She said the people were upset over the unrest in some parts of the NWFP and Fata urged the workers to discourage the elements propagating violence and instead work for establishing peace and harmony in their areas. “I have come to my country despite all difficulties because its integrity and solidarity was very much dearer to me”, she added.
The workers convention was also addressed by Provincial President of PPP Rahimdad Khan, President of Peoples Student Federation Zulqarnain, Mehrun Nisa Afridi, and Malik Waris Khan Afridi. She was given standing ovation on her arrival amidst tight security in the pendal. She ended up her speech with the slogan of her late father ZAB: ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan—-Maang Raha hai her Insaan”.