PPP strengthened political process: Zardari

Addressing the provincial assembly, President Asif Ali Zardari said law and order was the major challenge for Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. He said people of Pakhtoonkhwa had given unprecedented sacrifices for the security and survival of the country. “A particular mindset is bent upon destabilizing the country and we will continue to our fight against this mindset till we defeat it,” Zardari said adding it was the same mindset that assassinated Benazir Bhutto. “Democracy is the real revolution and after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto it was our responsibility to continue the political process,” he said. He said it was the power of the parliament that forced General (r) Pervez Musharraf to shed his uniform and ultimately leave the country. “We believe in tolerance and reconciliation,” he said. President Zardari said he learnt politics from ZA Bhutto, Bacha Khan, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and jail also taught him a lot. He condemned the attack on JI leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad saying the terrorists elements were not sparing even people like Qazi Hussain Ahmad. Enemies of the country wanted to create bad blood between provinces but we have defeated all these attempts, he said. “We gave provincial autonomy because we believe in indigenization of the provinces.” He said he had handed over powers of his office to the parliament in order to empower it. Provinces are stakeholders in Islamabad and it derives powers from provinces in return, he said. He vowed to defeat the internal enemies of the country. Speaker Pakhtoonkhwa Assembly welcomed the President said assemblies were completing their tenure for the first time in the history of Pakistan due to wise and conciliatory policies of President Zardari. Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in address said President Zardari has always listened to the grievances of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa with great attention and had always been cooperative. He said amiable atmosphere in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa assembly must be an example for the others. He thanked the President for addressing the assembly and applauded his policy of reconciliation. Opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani said that the President had established a new tradition by addressing the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Assembly.