EDITORIAL

Support Mr. Zardari in the greater interests of Pakistan

PPP’s Co-Chairman Mr. Asif Ali Zardari has completed one year in his office as President of Pakistan. Mr. Asif Ali’s services and sacrifices for the promotion of democracy in the country are greater.

As he drew closer to complete his maiden year as the President of the country, the conspirators and anti-PPP elements once again became active to create uncertainly and cooking up stories to defame and weaken the democratically elected government of PPP.

On the other front the terrorists intensified their attack in the select areas of the country. One main area that came under recent terrorist attack was GHQ.

Many terrorists were captured and killed during the commando operation carried by the SSG group.

During the course of time, Mr. Zardari, his government and its policies remained under attack by an influential TV channel. The one sided and targeted so called accountability carried by the channel had nothing but malafide intentions. Mr. Zardari’s national reconciliation policy has been admired by the local or the international political analysts as a wonderful gift to the Pakistani nation.

His stay in the office is undeniably a remarkable span. The management of the four party (PPP, MQM, ANP and JUIF) coalition government at the federal level is again a remarkable achievement on his part. The coalition government is working relatively, smoothly and efficiently despite the fact that the coalition partners do not share opinions on most national and international affairs. Despite periodic strains in the coalition, the Prime Minister Mr. Yousuf Raza Gilani and the President Zardari have kept the coalition together.

This has enabled the smaller parties to share power at the federal level, which has strengthened the Pakistani federation over all.

The partnership between PPP and PML (N) has been strained from time to time. Mr. Nawaz Sharif’s tough stand on number of issues had seriously caused fissures between them but credit goes to Mr. Zardari, who never budged a single inch from his reconciliation policy and cause any harm to his opponent. President Asif Ali led PPP government is also credited with maintaining good working relationship with the military top brass.

The civilian government led by PPP and the Army top brass are now unanimous in taking firm action against the militants in Swat or other places of the country.

We firmly believe that those who are working on the lines to weaken the government of PPP through baseless propaganda, are neither the friends of Pakistan, nor the democracy in it. But they are those who have been placed on the payrolls of intelligence agencies of our hostile neighbours and are serving their interests.

Through these columns we support Mr. Zardari and his government and his all endeavours to make democracy in Pakistan workable, to uproot militancy and bring back peace in the country and wish to let it allowed to complete five year term in the larger interests of the country.

We also believe that the anti-Pakistan forces who are busy in working against the government of PPP must not be considered as friends by those who are out of government presently.

They must bear in mind that tomorrow when they will have a chance of forming the government, these same elements would sprung up in yet another garb. So it becomes our collective job to support Mr. Zardari & his government come what may because it is all in the greater interest of Pakistan.