SIALKOT: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said an independent and effective election commission is necessary for holding fair, free and transparent election in the country. Addressing a big public meeting here on Sunday, she said the functioning of free and independent election commission would pave the way for bringing about revolutionary changes in political set up of the country. The information minister said the basic concept of launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) across the country was to provide employment opportunities to women and bring them in the mainstream so that they could play their instrumental role in development of the country.
“The PPP leadership is making adequate efforts to accomplish Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s vision aimed at bringing women into mainstream and a dream of national development could not be materialized without the involvement of women in overall development of the country,” she added.
Dr Firdous said it was Benazir Bhutto who struggled for the cause of women rights and ensured them of a respectable status in society. “The PPP-led government is striving hard for ensuring socio-economic justice and protection of people’s rights in the country,” she said.
Dr Firdous said under the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto special attention had been focused on transforming the country into a real democratic welfare state.
Dr Firdous Awan said some political leaders still believed in drawing-room politics but overall political situation had totally been changed, and an era of drawing-room politics had come to an end.
“The PPP leadership is committed to providing basic facilities to the masses at their doorsteps and utilising all available resources in this regard,” she added.
“The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is an ideological party which has deep roots in the people of the country and the PPP will remain in hearts of the poor,” she said.
Dr Firdous said a political party was trying hard to split voters of NA-111 but such onspiracies would be foiled with an active support of eople of the area.
Addressing the meeting, Governor Punjab Sardar Latif Khosa said Senate election would be held on schedule and conspiracies of delaying election would be foiled.
He said the PPP would win Senate election and general election would be held in 2013 in the country.
The governor said anti-democratic forces would not be allowed to harm democracy because the PPP had rendered great scarifies for its revival .”We are committed to convert Pakistan into a developed country of the world,” he said.
The governor said the PPP government was making all-out efforts for providing basic facilities to the people at their doorsteps.
On the occasion, Director General BISP Punjab informed that about 1,693 money orders would be distributed among women of NA-111.
He revealed that so far more than Rs 930 million had been distributed among the beneficiaries in Sialkot while special training programme for women would be started soon.
Federal Minister for Postal Services Sardar Al-Haaj Muhammad Umar Gorgaij also spoke on the occasion. (APP)