Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Wednesday that the present people's government has been striving for implementation of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's vision of a prosperous Pakistan.

While addressing as chief guest at a seminar on "Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: A Visionary" at Information Services Academy, the minister said that April 4 is the blackest day in the political and democratic history of the country as on that day the nation lost a visionary leader of international stature who would always be remembered for his consistent struggle for rights of masses and democracy.

She said that the incumbent government owes its existence to the visionary leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and has been following his legacy of political reconciliation.The minister said that the struggle which Bhutto started was still going on and PPP would continue his mission for masses' welfare until the goal was achieved.

Bhutto gave a constitution to Pakistan as the country was kept without a constitution for 25 years,she said adding that the credit for reviving original constitution goes to the present PPP leadership.She assured that the PPP,which gave the country its constitution and which purged it of its impurities will never take any step against the constitution.

She said Bhutto gave courage to the downtrodden and the masses who still pin hopes on PPP for their welfare and betterment. The minister said that Shaheed Bhutto rendered great sacrifices for promoting democracy and gave political wisdom and right to vote to people, farmers, labourers and marginalised communities.

The minister said that the following the vision of Shaheed Bhutto,the present Government strongly believes in freedom of expression as democracy and media independence go hand in hand.

About women, she said that Shaheed Bhutto has dreamt of empowering them and the present regime has taken practical steps for economic, social and legal empowerment of women.

She said that after 18th resolution,provinces have been given autonomy and 75 per cent of national resources have been transferred to them.She said that now that the provinces have more financial resources than the federation,they should also be held accountable for provision of relief to the masses.

Due to transfer of resources to the provinces,the federation has limited scope to give subsidies on utilities and it has to transfer the burden to the common man, she added.

About the problem of loadshedding, she said that the government was working on several hydel power projects,but for meeting short term needs the government is trying to benefit from Chinese technological breakthroughs in solar energy, to help it meet its growing energy needs.

Other speakers including prominent literary figure Fateh Muhammad Malik and former Ambassador B.A.Malik paid rich tributes to Shaheed Zulfikar ali Bhutto for his meritorious services for the country.

Source: APP