Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Thursday said that the name of Benazir Bhutto comes to mind whenever the rights of women are discussed in Pakistan.

“Our religion gives rights to women and Pakistan’s constitution also gives equal rights to the women,” Bilawal said while addressing a women convention here. He said PPP has always raised voice for women rights. “PPP has given rights to women. It is the only party which increased quota for women in every field. PPP gave Pakistan the first woman prime minister in the Muslim world. First woman judge was appointed by the PPP. Land was given to women by PPP. Lady health workers project was introduced by PPP. Benazir Income Support Programme was introduced by the PPP,” he said.

Bilawal said the BISP has brought an economic revolution for the women. “The people who oppose this programme do not want to spend money on women. This is the reason they oppose this programme, which was even replicated in other countries of the world,” he said. “PML-N and PTI want to end this programme because they do not want women to prosper. There were other programmes like Waseela-e-Taleem, Waseela-e-Sehat under BISP. Now Imran Khan has changed the name of this programme and made it Ehsaas programme,” he said.

According to Bilawal, Sindh government is organising poor rural women and providing them training. “1.5 million women are taking benefit. 0.4 million women have been given interest free loans. Agricultural woman workers have been recognised as labourers in Sindh with all labour rights,” he said.

Bilawal said Benazir Bhutto fought against terrorism with courage. “The people who say that women should not hold march must hear that they will hold march and no one can stop them. This path was shown by Benazir Bhutto. PPP is standing shoulder to shoulder with women of this country and we demand that government provide protection to each and every march,” he said. “This is Pakistan of Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan of every woman living in the country,” he said. “This Pakistan is not for the conservatives. PPP is a party of prosperity for the people of Pakistan. Women know the best about the economy of the country because they manage homes. Women will take PPP’s message of prosperity to every nook and corner of this country,” he added.

Talking about the proposed Aurat March, Bilawal said that the women will hold march and no politician, cleric or any TV analyst can stop them for holding march. “Our women will become lawyers, doctors, judges and even prime minister of the country,” he said. “The political opponents used to say that no woman can become prime minister of a Muslim country when Benazir Bhutto was running her election campaign … but we saw that the people of Pakistan got her elected as prime minister twice,” he said.

The slogans of ‘Jiye Bhutto’ were chanted by the PPP workers throughout the seminar.