Happy birthday BB.

i read this birthday/political rhetoric speech today in the newspaper.thought i'd post it.


Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Waiting for Benazir

By Zia Khokhar

Pakistan People’s Party workers will celebrate the birthday of their leader Benazir Bhutto today. They will be joined by all pro-democracy politicians and those who wish to see a progressive Pakistan adhering to liberal values, championing human rights and promoting a society based on equality.

But who will fill the front rows of these functions? The common folks crushed by poverty and high prices. They are the ones who will shout ‘Jeeay Bhutto, Jeeay Benazir’, for it is they who have suffered the miseries of injustice and unemployment.

And they dream. They dream that one day their leader will free the country from the claws of a puppet regime which took power by violating the Constitution. They dream that Benazir Bhutto will bring democracy, peace, justice, freedom, tolerance and progress to all Pakistanis.

Why are Pakistanis waiting for Benazir Bhutto? Because she speaks for them. She is the vanguard of democracy, a symbol of freedom and the torch-bearer of revolution.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took the reins of a demoralised country in December 1971. He turned the country around and the shattered people forgot their collective pain. This great revolutionary and philosopher wanted to change the fate of a debilitated Pakistan as well as reach out to other downtrodden nations. But the Yazeed of that time had other plans. The leader of the Muslim world and pride of the poor was martyred, extinguishing a light of which there is no parallel.

And thus began the darkest nights of repression and dictatorship. A popular struggle was launched to end the martial law of Gen Zia ul Haq and bring to power the daughter of Bhutto Shaheed. The opponent was ruthless, but by the grace of God Benazir Bhutto became the first elected woman prime minister in the Muslim world. She served the nation and worked hard for the people. But just 18 months into her first tenure, the opponents of democracy dashed the hopes of the people. But the people resisted the nefarious plans of the sectarian, fundamentalist and anti-human rights forces and voted her to power a second time.

Her time in power was fruitful. For instance, students, political workers and leaders jailed in false cases were released and rehabilitated. Some 35,000 poor farmers received 12.5 acres each. More farmers would have benefited from this programme had the big landowners not stopped this revolutionary policy by challenging the government in the Supreme Court.

Hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth were given jobs and those dismissed for speaking against martial law were reinstated. Thousands of young people were given loans to set up businesses. The ban on trade unions was removed. Over 40,000 workers in the private sector were reinstated to their jobs. The minimum wage was increased.

The government set up a separate ministry for women’s development. Women’s banks and computer training centres were introduced. Women were appointed judges of superior courts. Some 33,000 women were given jobs as health workers. Admission fees to hospitals introduced by the martial law regime were abolished.

The budget allocation for education was markedly increased. Schooling up to class eight was made compulsory and more attention was paid to technical and scientific education. Some 50,000 fresh teachers were recruited.

Load shedding was brought to an end with major power projects like Ghazi Barotha and HUBCO. Some 18,000 villages were electrified.

The media was freed from black laws, such as the requirement for journalists to get a No Objection Certificate before travelling abroad. Journalists fired from radio and television for speaking against martial law were reinstated. The Sixth Wage Board Award was announced.

In defence, 60 F-16 jet fighters, two frigates and an Agosta submarine were purchased. The army was given a battalion of modern tanks. Pakistan acquired missile technology and modern radar systems.

FM radio and dish antennas were allowed and Pakistan’s first independent TV station, STN, was set up. Mobiles phones and pager services were introduced. Hundreds of thousands of new telephone connections were provided.

Today, as we celebrate Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, the nation is once again reeling under the devastation of terrorism, sectarianism and fundamentalism, and people are fighting for the restoration of democracy and rule of law. The people pray for the end of dictatorship so that democracy, freedom, equality, progress and prosperity can flourish under a people’s government."

Wow.this guy sure will get a ministry if benazir comes to power again.