Awami Manshoor

Awami Manshoor

Afraad Kay Hathoon Main Hey Aqwam Ki Taqdeer
Har  Fard   Hey  Millat   Kay  Muqadar  Ka  Sittara

PPP Manshoor

Towards peace and

prosperity in Pakistan

P a k i s t a n   P e o p l e s   P a r t y

Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,

Founder Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party,

President and Prime Minister of Pakistan

PART I 
PREAMBLE
Basic Principles of the Party
State of the Nation
What is to be done?
Why Choose the PPP?
The Mission Before Us
PART II GROWTH WITH EQUITY
Rapid Economic Growth
Combating Unemployment
Targeted Poverty Programme
Just Labour Policies
Private Sector as Engine of Growth
Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Growth
Ensuring Water Security
Ensuring Energy Infrastructure
Fisheries
Growth-Inducing Transport Infrastructure Development
PART III MEETING BASIC NEEDS
Education
Health of the Nation
Census
Human Settlements
Housing Policy
Empowerment of Women
Human Rights
Minorities
Information and Media
Information and Communication Technologies
Science and Technology
Culture
Environment
PART IV GOOD GOVERNANCE
Magna Carta of Pakistan
Provincial Autonomy
Local Government
Civil Service Reforms
Police Reforms
Prison Reforms
Rule of Law
Judicial Reforms
FATA Reforms
Northern Areas
PART V PAKISTAN AND THE WORLD
Self-Determination
Kashmir
Relations with India
Afghanistan
Terrorism
Defence
PART VI CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A NEW PAKISTAN

PART I

PREAMBLE
This Manifesto is our sacred pledge to the people of Pakistan, and most importantly to the children
of Pakistan who are our future.
Pakistan faces a choice between Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a vibrant, tolerant and strong federation,
and obscurantism and fragmentation
Pakistan faces a choice between Quaid-e-Awam’s dream of a just society, and growing inequalities
Pakistan faces a choice between hope and despair
Pakistan faces a choice between strength and uncertainty
Pakistan faces a choice between moving forward and looking back
Pakistan faces a choice between progress for all and prosperity for a few
We choose Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of tolerance, vibrance and harmony among provinces
We choose Quaid-e-Awam’s dream of a just society
We chose hope
We chose strength
We choose moving forward
We choose progress for all
Basic Principles of the Party
The first principle of the Party is: Islam is our
Faith. Islam teaches brotherhood, love and peace.
Our Faith places a responsibility on each citizen
to reach out in a spirit of accommodation and
tolerance to all religions and sects and to treat
people of all faiths with respect, enabling them
to enjoy religious freedom and equality before
the law.
The message of Islam is the message of Peace. It
is a message of brotherhood and tolerance. These
are symbolised in the words and verses of Data
Sahib, Shah Abdul Latif of Bhittai, Baba Farid
Ganj Shakar and Lal Shahbaz Qalander.
The sufi saints adopted a life of simple living and
high thinking. It’s time we did the same.  By no
means did they use or preach the use of force.
The PPP commits itself to religious tolerance.
Religious beliefs of individual citizens have little
to do with the business of the state, as the Founder
of the Nation declared in his inaugural address
to the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947.
The second principle of the PPP is: Democracy
is our Politics. The PPP’s commitment to freedom
and fundamental rights, including freedom from
hunger and want, is written in the blood of its
martyrs and in the red marks of lashes on the
back of its workers. It is written in the suffering
and sacrifice of Quaid-e–Awam, who faced the
gallows refusing to bow before tyranny, defending
the human rights of our citizens to the last breath.
In every age, including today, the PPP leaders
and office bearers have been behind bars, in exile,
facing political persecution, defending their Party
at great personal cost to their families and
themselves.
The third PPP principle is: Social Democracy is
our Economy. The PPP aims at creating a just
and equitable society with equal opportunity for
all its citizens. The growing gap between the rich
and the poor must be bridged by supporting the
underprivileged, the downtrodden and the
discriminated. The PPP is proud of being the
voice of the poor, the working classes and the
middle classes. Our policies, while dedicated to
the underprivileged, created conditions that
enabled the business and trading classes to
compete in the open market. The Party will foster
a social market economy, a partnership of the
public and private sectors, predicated upon a
synthesis of economic liberalism with a strong
social democratic agenda of State responsibilities
for satisfying basic human needs: full
employment, national health, universal education,
water supply and sanitation.
The PPP reiterates its firm commitment to provide
Food, Clothing and Shelter (Roti, Kapra Aur
Makaan) to every poor family in Pakistan through
our unique emphasis on full employment. The
PPP is the only party with a coherent vision of a
welfare state for Pakistan where market forces
are balanced with safety nets for the
underprivileged and the poor.
The final principle of the PPP is All Power to the
People. Only the people have the right on earth
to determine their destiny and chart the course
of their Nation.  All organs of State must be
answerable to the Court of the people in an
election or through their legitimately elected
representatives in Parliament.
To the people of Pakistan we make the following
Promises:
• We Promise to rid Pakistan of violence, bigotry
and terror
• We Promise the youth of Pakistan gainful
employment, hope and opportunity
• We Promise to lower inflation
• We Promise to provide quality education and
health care, and clean drinking water,  to the
masses
• We Promise to bring progress to the doorstep
of the workers, farmers and small
businesses
• We Promise to protect and support the
disadvantaged and the vulnerable
• We Promise to make Pakistan a businessfriendly country
• We Promise to give high priority to
empowerment of women and ensure their
equal rights
• We Promise to put Pakistan on a sustainable
high growth path
• We Promise to ensure sound macro-economic
policies
• We Promise to ensure a strong Defence
• We Promise to ensure that energy shortages
are eliminated
• We Promise to protect the Environment
• We Promise to ensure a world class irrigation
system and sound use of scarce water
• We Promise to enhance Provincial Autonomy
• We Promise to put in place a citizen-centric
government
• Finally, We Promise Good Governance
State of the Nation
Under the PPP Government, the country was
hailed as an emerging capital market of the world.
Since the dismissal of the PPP Government in
1996, Pakistan has been associated with terrorism,
militancy and extremism. The crisis that began
with the dismissal of the PPP government can
only end with the return of the PPP, and through
the masses, to government.
During the first Decade of the 21st Century, the
country has suffered:
• Dangerous increase in terrorism and suicide
bombings
• Very high levels of poverty, unemployment,
and inflation
• Failed poverty reduction program, and severe
exclusion of poor from the benefits of growth
and progress
• Undermined national integration with the
increased level of discord among Provinces
• Abuse of institutions and the judiciary
• Obscurantism and hate among religious and
ethnic groups
• Huge power shortages and increasing water
scarcity
• Increasing crime and suicides
The present regime has eroded all national
institutions. Its repression and oppression have
created a culture of lawlessness and tyranny,
inflicting misery in the lives of the people of
Pakistan. There is no justice for the weak and the
poor. The youth are unemployed, the farmers
neglected, labour retrenched, stock markets
manipulated, public sector units plundered,
national resources squandered, the media
muzzled, civil society attacked, judiciary crushed,
and political leaders exiled, imprisoned and
maligned.
Different areas of the country have been parcelled
out to violent militant groups whose influence
is spreading like a cancer throughout society.
To stop the slide into lawlessness, extremism,
anarchy, chaos, poverty and hunger, the
restoration of genuine democracy, through free
and fair elections is essential. The PPP symbolises
the empowerment of the people of Pakistan.
The PPP governments served the people. The
World praised its energy program as a model for
the developing countries. The World Health
Organisation gave the PPP government a Gold
Medal in recognition of its contribution to the
health of its people. The International Labour
Organisation noted that the largest job-generation
in the history of Pakistan took place under the
PPP.
As the voice of the people, the PPP is viewed
with hostility by the anti-people forces who have
rigged elections and destabilized governments
to seize power and exploit the People and the
Provinces of the country.
The social and living standards of the people are
pathetic. While poverty decreased under the PPP
government, poverty has increased over the years,
as reported by the Economic Survey of Pakistan
2007.
Quaid-e-Awam made education compulsory for
children, and built schools, colleges and
universities.  He took the literacy rate up to 26%
where it stagnated for a decade.  Then Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto was elected and the literacy rate
doubled to over 50%.  After the dismissal of the
PPP government in 1996, education once again
stagnated.
What is to be done?
The PPP promises change through
• Employment
• Education
• Energy
• Environment
• Equality
The PPP believes in every individual’s right to
food, clothing, housing and an adequate
livelihood. Our commitment to the people of
Pakistan is that their basic rights are our
responsibility. The Party has, and will always,
strive for the rights of the People.
The PPP slogan is Ilm, Roshni Sab Ko Kaam, Roti
Kapra Aur Makaan, Maang Raha Hai Har Insaan.
Why choose the PPP?
It is not just an election between the PPP and
other parties. It is a clash of sharply competing
values and ideologies.
The PPP is a Party truly born out of the hearts
and minds of the workers, peasants, small
business, and the vast majority of citizens who
support the Islamic spirit of tolerance and social
justice, and not a Party that is born out of
backroom deals in agency offices.
We are the Party that derives its strength from
each and every section of a pluralistic society
We are the Party whose philosophy is rooted in
combining sustainable economic growth with
social justice
We are the Party that recognizes that this is a
moment to consolidate all the forces that subscribe
to the true spirit of Islam, and fundamental values
of federalism and democracy.
The Mission Before Us
The PPP’s mission is to transform the lives of our
people from one of despair and poverty into one
of hope and opportunity through employment,
education, energy, environment and equality.
We have a clear and coherent vision of what
needs to be done and will muster all the resources
to get it done.
We will take a new approach marked by a
determination to challenge the threats and not
ignore them.
We renew our commitment to build a hopeful
future for the poverty stricken.
We will strive for a Pakistan where all, rather
than some, live in comfort and plenty.
We will strive for a Pakistan where everyone is
included in the expanding circle of development.
We will, with vigour and determination, assure
basic needs for all citizens
We will strive to have a responsive, responsible
and representative government at all levels.
Social and Economic Justice is the defining
objective of the PPP’s policy framework. We will
reduce social and economic inequalities between
various classes, between Provinces, within
Provinces, and Genders, establishing a just society.
National policy frameworks have, to date,
accorded primacy to economic policy goals, with
social policy goals not pursued aggressively.
Even within economic policy-making,
Employment has not been a major objective.
Resultantly, social and human development
indicators have continued to lag behind woefully.
The very objective of Development has remained
unfulfilled.
The Pakistan Peoples Party proposes to reverse
the order of priorities; whereby social policy
objectives drive economic policy. Development
shall be measured in terms of the welfare of the
people, rather than in terms of financial statistics
that do not reflect the state of the nation.
Employment and Social and Human
Development shall be specific targets in policymaking and economic policy measures will be
geared to achieve social goals.
The twin menace of Inflation and Unemployment
are to be specifically tackled.
The PPP will help individuals set up small
businesses and provide the framework for a
vibrant middle class. It will address the basic
needs of low-income persons.

PART II

GROWTH WITH EQUITY
PPP governments since 1967 gave birth to boom
economies. In its last tenure, the PPP tripled
economic growth rates, doubled taxation receipts
and took agricultural growth rates from zero to
seven percent annually. It reduced the budget deficit
and paid off principal debt while investing in a
massive socio-economic program. The PPP, as a
modern and moderate Party, attracted four times
more direct private sector investment in three years
than all of Pakistan’s previous governments, creating
jobs and wealth for the people of Pakistan.
The PPP computerized the State Bank of Pakistan
and the Stock Market, introduced the National
Identity Cards scheme and deregulated,
decentralized and privatised the economy.
The PPP power projects and mass telephone system
enabled ordinary people to set up businesses when
previously power shutdowns and twenty year
delays for telephones prevented them from success
in private initiatives.
Open Minds, Open Markets, Open Opportunities
is our slogan as we change IOUs into MOUs. We
believe that markets, not missiles, are the measure
of might.
The PPP Government will accelerate growth, for
only with high growth can the social policy
objectives of poverty reduction and high
employment be achieved.
The key pillars of the equitable and pro-poor growth
agenda comprise: Rapid Economic Growth;
Combating Unemployment; Targeted Poverty
Programs; Just Labour Policies; Private Sector as
Engine of Growth; Accelerating Agricultural and
Rural Growth, and Ensuring Water Security and
Energy Infrastructure.
Rapid Economic Growth
PPP will be a fiscally responsible government,
ensuring that taxpayers get their full value for
the taxes they pay.
A Sound Debt Policy
We will ensure that we do not burden future
generations with excessive debt. With that in mind,
we will ensure that domestic and external debt is
maintained at sustainable levels.
PPP was the first government in the history of
Pakistan to retire Pakistan’s principal debt through
the proceeds of privatisation. The PPP will stop
raising domestic and foreign debt for wasteful
projects and use the fiscal space provided by the
rescheduling of loans and the international
assistance for fighting the war against terrorism for
the national benefit. Where needed, the PPP will
aggressively seek to use the fiscal space to retire
expensive domestic and foreign debt. The aim of
the PPP is to make Pakistan into a self respecting,
self reliant nation whose citizens are honoured
universally.
Containing Inflation
High Inflation is a major economic problem of
Pakistan, especially hurting the low income groups.
 At the macro level, containing inflation will be
achieved through prudent Monetary and Fiscal
Policies. In addition, the following specific measures
will be considered:
• Special steps to increase production of food
grains, including creating an enabling
environment so that greater private sector
credit flows towards these sectors.
• Enhancing competition, in both manufacturing
and domestic trade, and reducing supply chain
constraints so that costs of essential goods are
reduced. To this end, the Securities and
Exchange  Commission of Pakistan (SECP) will
be strengthened to unleash competitive forces,
and aggressively combat monopolies and
cartels
• Create effective institutions at Federal,
Provincial and District levels to monitor
supply positions of essential commodities to
ensure prompt remedial measures.
• Maintain strategic stocks of wheat and other
essential commodities to overcome shortages,
while ensuring that fiscal costs are manageable
and waste/corruption is eliminated.
Establishing a Fair Tax System
The Party is determined to overhaul the taxation
system and bring about changes which will lead
to fair practices, rational tax slab, curtailment of
discretionary powers and growth of business and
industry. The tax system will be made taxpayerfriendly so that voluntary compliance is enhanced.
The PPP commits itself to rationalizing the taxation
system so that the burden of tax on the poor and
low income groups is reduced, while at the same
time Tax/GDP ratio is increased. PPP recognizes
that Tax/GDP needs to be increased to provide
adequate resources for providing good quality
services to all people and for Pakistan to have the
necessary infrastructure to sustain high growth. To
that end, bold initiatives will be taken emphasising
better collection and expanding the tax net,
especially to those that can afford to pay.
Combating Unemployment
The PPP will put in place bold and innovative
programs to create jobs in the public and private
sector. PPP fully recognizes that high growth will
be the main driver of Full Employment. At the
same time, the PPP will establish programs to help
those who are unable to find gainful employment.
A four-pronged strategy will be used to provide
income earning opportunities to the poor as well
as unemployed youth.
The strategy comprises:
Public Works Programme (PWP)
A labour-intensive PWP will be put in place so that
there is guaranteed employment, of at least one
year, to one working member of the poorest 25 per
cent families of Pakistan.
The PWP will expand labour-intensive civil works
in infrastructure, sanitation, road works, water and
irrigation; with a view to providing large-scale
employment in rural
and urban areas.  These schemes will be communitydriven and managed.
Literacy and Health Corps (LHC)
Unemployment amongst educated youth has
assumed alarming proportions.  With twin
objectives of providing short-term employment to
educated youth, and to assist with social policy
goals, a Literacy and Health Corps Scheme will be
established. Under the scheme, there will be an
employment guarantee of two years to all youth
completing Intermediate, Graduation and PostGraduation in a given year. A large proportion of
the jobs will be in the social sectors (elementary
education and basic health-care) and will form part
of the PPP’s programme for the expansion of social
services.  This will constitute a basic literacy and
health corps in the service of the Nation.
Vocational Training
The PPP will put in place programs, which offer
the youth Vocational Education and Technical
Training in those service sectors where there is a
shortage in the market.

Microfinance
The PPP government under Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto introduced microfinance institutions in
Pakistan to provide self employment. This
programme will be doubled. Appropriate microfinance policy and institutional reforms will be put
in place so that Commercial Banks, Micro-Finance
institutions and NGOs aggressively increase their
outreach to meet the goal of 5 million beneficiaries
on a sustainable basis.
Targeted Poverty Programs
The PPP is committed to assist those that are
bypassed by growth and development, especially
the vulnerable and disadvantaged. It will put in
place a comprehensive Targeted Anti-Poverty
Program, comprising the following strands:
• Conditional Cash Transfers, which transfer
cash subsidies to poor families in return for
sending children (especially girls) to school
and getting children inoculated.
• Strengthening and expansion of social
protection programs, such as Zakat, Social
Security, Baitul Mal, worker-retraining and
mobility
• Special Program for the least developed (lowest
50%) Districts to improve access to social
services
• The PPP will look after the senior citizens of
our land; amongst other measures, we will
provide financial support to all Senior Citizens
above the age of 65 years who have no source
of income.
• The PPP will establish a database of the poorest
25% of families, so that these programs can be
properly targeted.
Just Labour Policies
For high levels of Employment, equitable growth
is crucial and Pakistan needs to have a labour policy
that is in line with the ILO standards.
To protect the basic rights of workers, the PPP will
initiate the following policies:
• The Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 will
be  reviewed to bring it in conformity with the
ILO Conventions, ratified by Pakistan, and
Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the
Constitution of Pakistan.
• The EOBI and other labour welfare programs
will be strengthened and Public-Private
Partnerships established, so that labour and
their families have access to quality education,
health care and affordable housing.
• Review of the President's Special Powers of
Removal from Service Ordinance 2000 with
regards to trade union activities.
• Elimination of child labour, forced labour and
bonded labour, and education and
rehabilitation of those children  once
withdrawn from the workplaces.
• Enforcement of statutory labour laws, through
effective inspection systems.
• Regularly holding National Tripartite Labour
Conference to formulate labour, economic and
social policies and to devise mechanisms for
their effective implementation with a view to
promoting social justice, decent work and raising
the dignity of labour.
• Developing a safety culture for making work
safe and prevention of accidents at workplaces
and occupational diseases of workers.
• Minimum wage will be enhanced to meet the
escalating needs of labour.
Private Sector as Engine of Growth
The PPP is committed to ensuring that Private
Sector and export-led development will be the main
engine of growth. The government will embark on
an aggressive Investment Climate Reforms
Programme to establish a favourable and enabling
environment so that all businesses, foreign and
domestic, flourish. The Party will improve the
investment climate especially for Small and MicroBusinesses, initiate programs to reduce cost of doing
business and increase Pakistan’s competitiveness,
streamline government business interface through
aggressive deregulation, and seek Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in export manufacturing.
The Pakistan Peoples Party will confine the role of
the Public Sector in Health, Education and
Infrastructure.  The role of the State will be restricted
only to those areas where the Private Sector is not
forthcoming.
A special program will be developed to attract the
financial resources and special skills of Pakistani
Diaspora and overseas workers, with a view to
contribute to the national development efforts.
Privatisation was introduced by the first government
of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, elected in 1988.
This will be continued in a transparent manner,
ensuring that labour is a beneficiary of the process.
 The PPP will vigorously pursue a policy of
diversification of industrial exports and
manufactured products. The emphasis will be on
adding value to primary products and raw
materials. The PPP Government will provide
market-based and fiscally affordable incentives to
develop non-traditional exports.
We will also provide incentives to raise the level of
technology in our industries
An important pillar of our private sector
development will be an aggressive program to
foster and encourage Small and Medium Enterpries
(SMEs), recognizing that these provide the bulk of
employment. Programs and Policies will be put in
place to reduce the regulatory burden on SMEs and
enhance the voluntary flow of credit to these
businesses.
Accelerating Agriculture and Rural Growth
Agriculture is the mainstay of the National Economy
of Pakistan. As a farmer-friendly party, the PPP will
help farmers boost production and obtain fair prices.
Farmers got the best prices when the PPP was in
government. The key to agricultural exportable
surpluses is to augment the output per acre and
productivity per farmer
Aggressive Agriculture and Rural Development
will be another central pillar of our growth and
poverty reduction strategy.  Our efforts will be
focused on improving productivity and crop
diversification, agricultural markets and exports,
and special programs for small farmers to reduce
risks faced by them. Moreover, with advances in
technology the desert can be made green.
The Pakistani peasant, mired in poverty and debt
has to be rescued from the morass of despair by a
bold  policy which  ensures  that the private sector
provides key inputs and services  -such as credit,
fertilizer, pesticides, extension, marketing, seeds,
tractors-in a timely manner and at competitive
prices.
Special attention would be given to encouraging
Banks to expand rural lending, while maintaining
sound credit policies.
Special capacity-building programs for agricultural
support services will be put in place to revitalize
key institutions of research and extension.
A sustainable program of farm to market roads will
be put in place to ensure that perishable and
valuable agricultural products like fruits; vegetables
and milk can reach markets to enable better incomes
for farmers and for the benefit of urban consumers.
Peoples Party commits itself to providing all surplus
electric power during off peak hours for tube-wells
free of cost
Ensuring Water Security
The PPP government is committed to ensuring
water security for irrigation and availability of clean
drinking water
Pakistan is now a water scarce country. Scarcity
will increase with time, with a burgeoning
population and climate change. The PPP will put
in place a bold and comprehensive program to
ensure water security for future generations. Key
elements of the strategy would consist of: water
conservation, additional storages, farmer-managed
irrigation systems, rehabilitation of the ageing canal
and barrage system, an effective drainage system,
enhancing water productivity, strengthening water
rights and protecting the lower delta eco-systems.
In respect of the Arid Zones, a program will be
developed to harness water from rain and flash
floods, promote drip irrigation and crops that need
less water.
Clean drinking water is a basic need. The PPP shall
create a legal framework to ensure availability of
clean drinking water for all.
Ensuring Energy Infrastructure
The consumption of electricity is an index of
economic prosperity. Pakistan’s per capita electricity
consumption is about one tenth of the world
average. The last power station established in the
public sector was the PPP’s Ghazi Barotha 1450MW
hydro electric power project which went online in
2004. The PPP also obtained a 500 MW nuclear
power station at Chasma. The PPP government
inducted over 5000MW of private power generation,
ending shutdowns. Now Pakistan needs another
8000 MWs by 2010 to meet the energy requirements
of the people. This will be met by utilising coal,
solar, hydro and wind power.
The PPP is committed to establishing a
comprehensive and credible program that ensures
Energy Security and Adequacy of Supply. Key
elements would include: maximum use of
indigenous water and hydrocarbon resources,
energy conservation, proper pricing to ensure proper
use while protecting the life line consumers.
Specific actions and interventions will include
encouraging and attracting private sector energy
projects, fast tracking of exploration and
development of indigenous hydro carbon resources,
including the Thar coal project, accelerating
development of alternative energy, including wind
and solar energy, reviving the Keti Bunder project,
establishing an energy corridor from Central Asia
to Balochistan, and a sustainable program to bring
energy to the doorstep of the poor.
Fisheries
The PPP will establish programs that will provide
training and micro-credit facilities to the fisher folks
and ensure proper facilities, infrastructure to increase
export potential of this sector in keeping with
international standards.
Growth-Inducing Transport Infrastructure
Development
The PPP will develop and implement a national
transport development program, to sustain high
growth, improve access to rural areas and to reduce
internal logistics costs and downtime, especially
for exports. In particular, it would establish a world
class North South Transport corridor.

PART III

MEETING BASIC NEEDS
Empowerment and Social Change will be another
cornerstone of the PPP’s Agenda for change.
Using the full resources of the Government,
Private Sector and Community Organizations, a
social transformation program will be ushered.
Education
The Peoples Party built 48,000 schools in its two
tenures between 1988 to 1996; it recruited and
trained 100,000 teachers in three years alone,
thereby doubling literacy.
The PPP increased the education budget by many
billions in its last two recent tenures of power, a
testimony to the top priority it gives to education.
The PPP commits to its sons and daughters of
Pakistan an education system that enables a
brighter future than that of their parents so that
they can hold their heads high in the comity of
Nations.
Quaid-e-Awam introduced free and compulsory
primary education, promoted Centres of
Excellence, created Institutes of Science and
Technology and took Pakistan to the cutting edge
of Nuclear Physics, establishing centres of Nuclear
Medicine. He set up a chain of new Universities,
Medical and Engineering Colleges in the
neglected areas as a harbinger to a Muslim
Renaissance.
The PPP will focus on providing computers
progressively for every Secondary School and
College in Pakistan. The Party will install at least
one computer in each School so that the new
generation can enter the digital age.
To universalize basic education, every child in
government primary schools will be provided a
stipend.
Universal enrolment by 2015 of all children
between the ages of 5 to 10 is the target of the
Party.
The Pakistan Peoples Party believes in providing
quality higher education in all regions of Pakistan
through both Public and Private Sector Colleges,
Universities and Institutes. The quality of existing
Colleges and Universities will be improved and
the number of Public Universities and Colleges,
particularly in Science and Engineering, Medicine
and Agriculture will be increased. Funding will
be regulated and monitored through Quality
Assurance Boards of the Higher Education
Commission. Funding to Private Sector
Universities will be enhanced through a
competitive programme.
Madrassah Reforms
We are in the process of sowing the seeds of
national disintegration of a new generation of
alienated young people bred on hate and
paranoia. Educational extremism thus represents
the greatest danger to Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of
the federation.
The funding of groups during Afghan Jihad of
the ’80s has led to the rise of political madrassahs.
 Many of them are not schools but irregular army
recruitment centres for militants as well as arm
depots holding rocket launchers and Kalashnikov
guns. No militia will be allowed to seek refuge
under the name of madrassahs for militant
activities. Madrassahs will be reformed to be
Madrassahs that impart knowledge to children
The PPP had planned to build ‘Apna Ghar’ (Our
Home) as a free boarding school for socially or
economically disadvantaged children.  The plan
initially adopted by the PPP in the budget of
1996, but dropped by subsequent governments,
will be revived.
Student Militancy
The PPP will lift the ban on Student Unions as it
has done in all its tenures. It will not permit arms
on campus.
Health of the Nation
All PPP Governments have made health a high
priority, believing that the welfare of People flows
from investing in the health of the people. Basic
Principles of the Health Policy are: First, the
Guarantee of  Access to a Doctor for every Citizen
of  Pakistan via a National Health Service; Second,
the Prevention of Disease; Third, the Guarantee
that Affordable Medicines are available to the
sick and needy; Fourth, the provision of  good
Medical Education and Training.
The Lady Health Workers (LHW) programme
initiated by the PPP government has been the
most successful initiative in the preventive health
sector in the last two decades; it increased
contraceptive prevalence and reduced mother
and child mortality ratios. The PPP will further
consolidate this programme and take the number
of LHWs up to 200,000 in the next 5 years,
extending it to Katchi Abadis in urban areas. A
scheme for inducting 10,000 male health workers
will be introduced in parts of NWFP and
Balochistan.
The party will initiate a media campaign on
various aspects of preventive health measures to
increase awareness on health, safe motherhood,
hygiene and nutrition.
Access to quality drugs has eluded the poor
citizens of this country. The Pakistan Peoples
Party will initiate a pro-people Drugs policy for
the Public Sector Health System and maintain
prices within the reach of the common man for
the WHO- approved list of 300 essential drugs.
 The PPP will introduce competitive measures to
ensure parity with regional price levels.
As in other Muslim Countries, including Iran,
Bangladesh and Indonesia, Pakistan aims to
protect the health and care of both Mother and
Child through Planned Parenthood.
Census
The PPP will hold a census every ten years and
ensure that the Census results are accurate,
enabling resource distribution equitably in the
country.
Human Settlements
Historically, Town Planning is a concept
developed by the ancient Indus Valley
Civilization. To keep up with its glorious legacy,
the PPP will invest in providing clean drinking
water, sanitation and planning.
The Pakistan Peoples Party will set up a Human
Settlements Commission to prepare a Master
Plan of Human Settlements for the Whole
Country including the needs for housing, roads,
parks and playgrounds.
The Pakistan Peoples Party will assist Provincial
and District Governments with establishing
liveable cities and human settlements. The urban
degradation that is taking place will be reversed
with the provision of resources and capacity
support.
Housing Policy
A house for every family is a key part of the PPP
slogan Maang Raha Hai Har Insaan, Roti Kapra Aur
Makaan.
A comprehensive and credible program will be
developed and implemented to enable low and
middle income families to own their own homes.
Such a program will comprise releasing
government urban land, changes in zoning and
land titling, changes in foreclosure laws, provision
of long-term credit which is sustainable, and
establishment of needed institutions, in the
Private and Public Sector, to make the dream of
home-ownership a reality for the masses.
Empowerment of Women
The Pakistan Peoples Party has an unflinching
commitment to the cause of Gender Equality ever
since it was founded in 1967. It is also the only
Party in Pakistan that is headed by a Woman.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was the first elected
Woman Head of Government in the Muslim
World.
• The Party shall enunciate a national
employment policy for Women, facilitating
job creation and Women's participation in the
economy. The 10% affirmative action
job quota for Women in public service initiated
by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s government
will be increased to 20%.
• Effective legislation to enable legal ownership
of assets and resources for Women will be
enacted to facilitate their financial
independence.
• The Party will take institutional initiatives to
prevent crimes against Women in the name
of tribalism, such as honour-killings and
forced marriages.
• Family Courts will be presided by Women
Judges to hear Family Law Cases. Right of
Maintenance and child custody according to
law will be implemented.
• Women will be appointed to the superior
judiciary.
• Ministry of Women Development will be part
of important policy-making bodies to ensure
that gender priorities are reflected in all policy
initiatives.
Human Rights
As the Party that introduced a Ministry for
Human Rights, the PPP will respect the life,
liberty, property, livelihood and right to freedom
of association, expression and movement of every
citizen. It will honour the International Human
Rights Declaration in both letter and spirit. The
PPP will protect the rights in particular of the
weak and oppressed, the discriminated and the
downtrodden.
Minorities
To uplift and empower minorities, a job quota
for minorities in the services of Pakistan, including
the operational services like Army, Police,
Intelligence Agencies, Judiciary and Foreign
Affairs will be allocated.
An independent permanent National
Commission for Religious Minorities will be
instituted, with the powers of Tribunals which
can entertain complaints and provide redress on
urgent basis.
Minorities will be given administrative control
of their places of worship and a person belonging
to a minority group will be made head of the
Evacuee Trust Property Board.
The statutes that discriminate against religious
Minorities, and are sources of communal
disharmony, will be reviewed.
Information and Media
The Pakistan Peoples Party recognizes that a Free
and Vibrant Press is the greatest guarantor against
tyranny and oppression. In accordance with this
principle, the PPP liberated the Press in 1988 by
allowing free import of newsprint, the abolition
of government permission to establish
newspapers and journals, and by introducing
Private Radio and Television Stations.
Each ministry will set up its own media cell to
put across the point of view of the Ministry.
Journalists from the private sector will be eligible
for induction on contract basis and on competitive
market rates.
A Press Complaints Commission will be
established on the basis of the British system of
Press Complaints.
The Private Sector will be allowed to freely
establish television and radio stations subject to
their operating within a legal framework.  FM
stations licenses will be given to the Political
Parties.
Information and Communication
Technologies
The PPP heralded the information age into
Pakistan with colour television, fax machines, emails and satellite television. It laid fibre optic
lines in 1989 and digitalised telecommunications.
In 1993, it began computer literacy programs to
herald the computer literate generation. Software
technology parks were to be established in the
major cities by the PPP.
ThePPP fully supports the United Nations
Information and Communication Technology Task
Force (UNICTF) goals. Working with the UN, the
PPP will create an enabling environment to map
UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
We believe that ICTs play an important role in
development, poverty reduction, empowering
women, reducing gender gap and communicating
and practicing democratic values. We will replicate
the best practices in Pakistan and will develop a
comprehensive e-Government Strategy.
The PPP will implement an ICT policy and
program to bridge the digital divide and to enable
Pakistan to join the ranks of world leaders in IT.
A comprehensive program will include: expanding
telecommunications bandwidth capacity, expand
training institutions for IT professionals, promotion
of IT and software exports.
Science and Technology
The PPP gave the best science and technology
institutions to the country. Science and Technology
Hubs will be established in major urban areas,
much like the science cities in the developed
world.
Culture
The Pakistan Peoples Party will promote National
Heritage and Culture of Pakistan. We will increase
funding for the Arts, and support artists and their
institutions.
Environment
We have inherited the earth to nourish and
treasure, not to plunder and destroy.
The PPP will follow environment-friendly policies
to build a cleaner, healthier environment for our
children. Curriculum on environment will be
introduced in schools.
The PPP supports the Kyoto protocol on climate
change.
The PPP will accelerate programs which will
ensure Clean Air, Land, and Water for All.
The PPP will introduce CNG units in major cities
to reduce vehicular pollution.
The PPP will set up a new National Calamities
and Disaster Management Authority and make
the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency
(PEPA) an autonomous authority.

PART IV

GOOD GOVERNANCE
Magna Carta of Pakistan
The Pakistan Peoples Party reaffirms its
commitments to implement the Charter of
Democracy; the veritable Magna Carta of
Pakistan.
As early as 1949, the Public Representatives
Officers Disqualification Act (PRODA) was used
for the ulterior purpose of driving out the
Stalwarts of Muslim Leaders from the arena of
Politics. The scythe of the Electoral Bodies
Disqualification Order of 1960 decapitated the
entire Founding Fathers of Pakistan. Ziaul Haq
promulgated the Martial Law Order 17 of 1977
in order to victimize and disqualify the leadership
of the Pakistan Peoples Party. In the most heinous
deed of our tormented political history, Ziaul
Haq physically murdered his benefactor on April
4, 1979.
The so-called accountability measures since 1996
were used to incarcerate Senator Asif Ali Zardari
for eight long years, although he and Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto were never sentenced for any
crime.  False cases were used in a conspiracy in
an attempt to break their will to fight for the
people of Pakistan and also to deceive the people
of Pakistan about their legitimate democratic
leadership.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan rightly observed
in 1958: “When politics enters the Palace of Justice,
Democracy, its cherished inmate, walks out of
the backdoor. A Judge’s duty in a given case is
to adjudicate on the right or liability and this
function he must discharge according to law. The
Constitution entrusts the interests of the Country,
in the appointment of a Prime Minister, to the
members of the Parliament and if the country is
ruined by the wrong choice of a Prime Minister,
the responsibility is that of the people and their
representatives and not of the Judge. The Judge’s
duty is to administer the law and not to lay down
the moral or political standards for the choice of
a Prime Minister.”
The Charter consists of the following 36
points in brief:
1. The 1973 Constitution as on 12 October 1999
shall be restored save for the provisions of
Joint Electorates, reserved seats for Minorities
and Women, lowering of the voting age to 18,
and increase in seats in Parliament.
2. The appointment of Governors, three service
Chiefs and the CJ SC shall be made by the
Prime Minister who will be the Chief
Executive.
3. The appointments of Judges to Superior
Judiciary will be made with the advice and
consent of a Joint Parliamentary Committee
consisting of equal representatives of the
Treasury and the Opposition on the
recommendation of a Commission headed by
former Chief Justice who has not taken oath
under the PCO.
4. A Federal Constitutional Court with equal
representation to each Federating Unit will
resolve Constitutional issues.
5. The Concurrent list will be abolished.
6. Reserved seats for Women will be allocated
in proportion to percentage of votes polled
by each contesting Party.
7. The strength of the Senate will be increased.
8. FATA will be merged into NWFP in
consultation with the Tribal Areas.
9. Northern Areas will be given a Special Status
and Empowerment.
10. Local Body elections will be held on Party Basis.
11. National Security Council will be abolished
and replaced by Defence Committee
headed by the Prime Minister.
12. The “ban” on Third term for Prime Minister
will be scrapped.
13. Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be
established.
14. Politically motivated NAB will be abolished
and replaced by an Independent
Accountability Commission whose
Chairman will be appointed jointly by the
Prime Minister and the Leader of the
Opposition with the advice and
consent of Joint Parliamentary Committee
with parity between Treasury and the
Opposition parties. 
15. The Media will have freedom of access to
Information regulated by Law.
16. The Chairman of the Public Accounts
Committee will be appointed by the respective
Leaders of the Opposition in the House.
17. Nuclear Command and Control will be placed
under the Defence Committee of the Cabinet.
18. The future of Kashmir will be determined
according to the aspirations of the people of
Kashmir and UN
Resolutions.
19. Good Governance will include quality Health,
Universal Education, Price Stability
Employment Generation and  Austerity by
Government Officials.
20. Women, Minorities and under-privileged will
be provided equality of opportunity.
21. Electorate mandate will be respected and
extra constitutional ways will not be adopted
for undermining the rights of the Government
or Opposition.
22. Signatories to the Charter will not join Military
regimes or sponsored Governments.
23. All indirect elections will be by open ballots.
24. All Military and Judicial Officers will file
annual statements of Wealth and Income.
25. National Democracy Commission will
promote Democratic Culture.
26. Terrorism and militancy will be vigorously
confronted.
27. Impartiality and independence of the Election
Commission will be guaranteed.
28. Elections will be held on a level-playing field.
29. Local Body Elections will be held within three
months of General Elections.
30. Neutral administrators will be appointed by
the Competent Election Authorities during
the Conduct of elections.
31. Elections will be conducted by a neutral
Caretaker Government.
32. All Security Agencies including ISI and MI
will be answerable to the elected Prime
Minister.
33. All indemnities promulgated by military
regimes will be reviewed.
34. Defence Budget will be placed before and
approved by Parliament.
35. Military Land and Cantonments will be
controlled by the Ministry of Defence.
36. Rules of Business will be reviewed to conform
to Parliamentary Traditions.
Provincial Autonomy
The Pakistan Peoples Party proposes to establish
P a k i s t a n   P e o p l e s   P a r t y 16PART IV
a true Federal Democracy in theory and practice
by enacting the following reforms in order to
make Provincial Autonomy meaningful.
The unanimous Constitution of 1973 authored
by Quaid-e-Awam introduced Provincial
Autonomy to the Country’s Federal System. The
PPP will take the following measures:
• The Concurrent Legislative List will be
abolished.
• Provinces will be given their due share in
their Natural Resources.
• Distribution criteria for NFC award will take
into account contribution to revenues,
geographic size, backwardness and level of
development as well as population.
• The Natural Gas rates and Royalty formula
will be as determined by the Constitution of
1973.
• All Companies engaged in exploration and
extraction of Natural Resources will be
required to train local people and allocate
funds for social development.
• Provinces will be given part of the sale
proceeds in the sale of federal assets in their
province.
• Octroi will revert to local governments and
be collected by them.
• Sales tax will be progressively returned to
Provinces.
Local Government
The Pakistan Peoples Party believes in a threetier system of Government: Federal, Provincial
and Local. Each will enjoy autonomy and function
under the law.
The system of Local Government introduced by
the military regime, which has been manipulated
for political ends, will be revamped to bring it in
line with the Party’s Devolution Plan.
Primary Education, Basic Health, Water Supply,
Sanitation and Population Welfare will be looked
after by the Local Governments. The Deputy
Commissioner will perform the functions of the
DCO. Local Government will be based on modern
patterns such as those that exist in the established
democracies of the world. Caretaker district
governments would be established during
elections.
Civil Service Reforms
No modern state can function without an
impartial, honest and efficient bureaucracy. The
Pakistan Peoples Party will initiate the
implementation of broad-based Civil Service
Reforms. Security of service, fixed tenures, meritbased appointments, barriers to lateral entry and
a ban on inductions from other state institutions
are required for an effective bureaucracy.
Training of civil servants will be conducted to
make the Civil Services citizen-friendly and
responsive to the needs and demands of the
public.
Police Reforms
The PPP government will embark on a
meaningful Police Reforms Program. The aim of
the reforms will to provide security to citizens
by creating a crime-free society. The PPP will be
tough on crime and the causes of crime. It will
foster a professional police force owing allegiance
to the Constitution and rule of law, and stop the
practice of using the police force for political
purposes.
The PPP will expand law enforcement and equip
it with modern means to combat crime and
maintain security. A strong police force is
necessary to combat the forces of internal
terrorism.
In the previous PPP Government, Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto instituted a revolutionary
programme of Women's Police Stations headed
by Women Police Officers to encourage Women
to report crimes of domestic abuse. This highly
successful programme was dismantled by
subsequent administrations. It will be
immediately reconstituted under the PPP
government.
Prison Reforms
The PPP prison reforms aim at reforming
prisoners enabling them to integrate into society
as responsible citizens. The concept of hard and
rigorous labour will be abolished. Prisoners will
be encouraged to take classes to learn skills and
earn points towards good behaviour early release.
They will be paid proper wages for work
undertaken and be entitled to purchase facilities
for themselves including television, computers
and other products. Common rooms will provide
Internet access to selected sites as well as reading
material in libraries. Medical attention will be
given promptly. Proper seating arrangements for
interviews will be made.
Prisoners will have the right to make available
transport for going to Court hearings in the event
of vehicle shortage. Prison administrations will
be given rules within which to function and will
be autonomous in their functioning. An
Ombudsman will be appointed to hear
complaints of Prisoners against the violation of
jail rules.
Female prisoners will be housed in separate
quarters and looked after by female staff. No
male staff will be permitted entrance to the female
quarters. Female quarters will have similar
facilities as male quarters with additional childcare areas.
Rule of Law
The basis of a civilised society lies in the rule of
law. In developed countries, those who
undermine the majesty of law go to prison. In
our country, too often the victims of those who
perpetuated injustices are sent to prison. Each
elected leader of Pakistan left office brutalized
and criminalised while none of the military
dictators paid a price even when they
disintegrated the Nation and mutilated the
Constitution.
When the state apparatus perverts the course of
justice, evil consequences flow which undermine
the premise on which civilised society can be
based.
The PPP will establish a Truth and Reconciliation
Commission to investigate how the so-called
National Accountability Bureau tried to pervert
the course of justice by torturing witnesses to
commit perjury and wasted national resources
to politically re-engineer Pakistan.
Judicial Reforms
The Pakistan Peoples Party is committed to a
neutral independent judiciary free of political
manipulation. Justice must be fair and blind.
From the lower courts to the Supreme Court, the
PPP commits its government to a truly
independent judiciary.
FATA Reforms
Quaid-e-Awam introduced development for the
people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
and the PPP Government, headed by Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto, continued those policies.
The PPP will restore the authority of the
Government in the Tribal Areas and stop the proTaliban forces from using its territory to mount
attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan.
The current situation in the FATA represents a
clear danger to the national security. The military
regime has given up Pakistan’s sovereign territory
in the Tribal Areas to foreigners. Consequently,
FATA has become a safe haven for militancy and
extremism.
The PPP will reclaim Pakistan’s territory and reassert the authority of the government
The PPP will facilitate the extension of the Laws of
Pakistan to FATA, including the Political Parties Act.
As a first step, it will bring amendments in the
Frontier Crimes Regulation to enable a right of
Appeal to the Peshawar High Court and further
to the Supreme Court of Pakistan against all
convictions.
The seats in the NWFP Provincial Assembly will
be enhanced to accommodate representatives
from the FATA directly elected by adult franchise,
according to the population of each Agency.
The PPP will push forward schemes for the
educational advancement and economic uplift
of FATA, creating job opportunities, increasing
quotas in Colleges, Universities and Government.
In order to expedite investment and create jobs,
the FATA will be made into a tax-free zone on
items manufactured in these areas.
Northern Areas
The PPP government will actively pursue policies
that promote education, development, and peace
in the Northern Areas.

PART V

PAKISTAN AND THE WORLD
The guiding principles of the Pakistan Peoples
Party shall be the universal principles of peace,
reciprocity and flexibility in its foreign relations.
The Party is opposed to all forms of terrorism
and seeks to build bridges in the world
community and promotes inter-faith harmony
after the polarities arising from September 11.
The Party believes that civilizations and
democracies do not go to war, and will not allow
extremists to hijack a progressive agenda. The
PPP will endeavour to add depth and substance
to Pakistan's relations with regional, economic
and social organisations. The PPP believes in
good neighbourly relations with Afghanistan,
India, Iran and the Peoples Republic of China.
The Party also believes in further strengthening
relations with the USA, Canada, European Union,
Japan and the Commonwealth. Pakistan is at the
hub of Central Asia, the Gulf and the GCC, hence
the PPP will provide a fresh impetus to the trade
and cultural ties with these regions. Our special
relations with Bangladesh will be strengthened.
Self-Determination
The Pakistan Peoples Party supports the right of
self-determination for all people.
Kashmir
The Pakistan Peoples Party supports the rights
of the Kashmiri people and will pursue the
composite dialogue process agenda that it
initiated with India including Kashmir and IndoPak issues. It will not allow lack of progress on
one agenda to impede progress on the other.
The PPP, without prejudice to the UN Security
Council Resolutions, supports open and safe
borders at the Line of Control to socially unite
the Kashmiri people.  It notes that India and
China have a border dispute and yet enjoy
tension-free relations.
Relations with India
The Simla Agreement of 1973 provides a
framework for relations between the two
Countries. It seeks to reduce tensions with India
through peaceful negotiations to outstanding
disputes and issues, and recalls the great progress
in bilateral relations that took place under the
government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
During the December 1988 SAARC Summit, the
proposal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to
transform SAARC from a cultural organization
into an economic one was accepted by the SAARC
countries.
The PPP government will work for a regional
economic framework for the countries of South
Asia to benefit all its people through economies
of scale. Such a regional economic group has the
potential to turn into a global economic
powerhouse, attracting investment, creating jobs
and eliminating poverty.
Under Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's governments,
the PPP has consistently pushed to replace the
infrastructure of conflict with the architecture of
peace.
The PPP believes that a prosperous Pakistan is a
prosperous South Asia. Maintaining peaceful ties
with India is imperative if we wish to achieve
these goals. When elected to power, the PPP
intends to tackle the social and economic malaise
infecting the region by promoting an Asian
Common Market that can attract investment,
create jobs and build bridges of peace and trade
through all of South Asia.
Afghanistan
Military dictators have used Pakistan's proximity
to Afghanistan and its strategic importance to
the world community to perpetuate dictatorship.
 The PPP will not allow Pakistan's territory to be
used for cross-border terrorism against
Afghanistan. The Party firmly adheres to the
principle of non-interference in Afghanistan's
internal affairs and favours no group, faction or
tribe. The PPP government will engage the
Afghan government for an overall understanding
on border security, exchange of intelligence, flag
meetings between sector commanders, exchange
of information, and non-use of force in one
another's territories.
The PPP will seek to sign a Treaty of Peace and
Cooperation with Afghanistan based on the
following principles:
• Respect for fundamental human rights and
for the purposes and principles of the Charter
of the United Nations.
• Settlement of all disputes by peaceful means,
such as negotiation, conciliation, arbitration
or judicial settlement.
• Promotion of mutual interests and
cooperation.
• Respect for justice and international
obligations.
• A commitment to the restoration of close
cultural, economic and trade ties with
Afghanistan
• The PPP will set up joint working groups with
Afghanistan to enhance and rationalize trade
between the two nations.
• The PPP will commit its government to using
its resources in Balochistan for the mutual
benefit of the energy needs of Afghanistan
and Pakistan's largest Province.
Terrorism
Terrorism was born in the bowels of dictatorship,
which recruited, trained, armed and financed
extreme factions while marginalizing the
moderate, democratic and pluralistic forces.
History teaches us that Democracies do not wage
war with each other nor do Democracies promote
international terrorism.
The PPP will dismantle militant groups who seek
to take hostage the foreign policy of the country
and impose their writ through force on the tribal
areas of Pakistan and elsewhere.
Distinctions between, and amongst terrorist
groups will no longer be maintained.
Defence
The PPP believes that a sound economic base
promotes a strong Defence. It seeks to identify
Pakistan’s core Defence needs to enable the
country to meet its defence targets.
The educational curriculum in Defence institutes
was prepared to train an officer cadre that could
uphold the forces of military rule. That curriculum
will be revised to ensure respect for Democracy,
Democratic institutions and elected officials. In
addition, all newly appointed Service Chiefs will
be given a public oath of office, similar to the one
taken at commissioning, prior to their taking up
their assignment.
The PPP gave Pakistan a strong defence to
safeguard its territorial integrity and national
independence. Quaid-e-Awam gave Pakistan the
nuclear program to achieve nuclear parity with
India. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto gave Pakistan
missile capability to enable the country to deter
aggression.
The PPP will ensure that our armed forces are
amongst the best in the world in so that they earn
the love and respect of the nation as a Defender
of our Motherland free of political involvement
and controversy.
CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A NEW
PAKISTAN
The Pakistan Peoples Party makes a sacred pledge
to the people of Pakistan that it will lead our
Nation to peace and prosperity. It will build a
tomorrow better than any of the yesterdays we
have known by following in the footsteps of our
heroic leaders, Quaid-e-Azam and Quaid-eAwam to build a federal, democratic, egalitarian
Pakistan. The PPP believes that the key to the
advancement of Pakistan lies in focusing on
employment, education, energy, environment
and equality.
From Khyber to Karachi, from the mountains
that Alexander the Great crossed to the desert
sands of Sindh where Mohammad Bin Qasim
brought the Message of Islam, under the banner
of Pakistan and the tri-colour flag of Quaid-eAwam, there will be one nation, one leader, one
mission, one programme, one destination, and
one voice reflecting the hopes, the desires, the
wishes and the aspirations of our great people.
Ilm Roshni, Sab Ko Kaam
Roti Kapra Aur Makaan
Maang Raha Hai Har Insaan

PTI Manshoor

The Manifesto

Of

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

PREAMBLE

A New Beginning

The PTI agenda of resurgence articulates the long neglected aspirations of our
people and spells out the vision of a modern Islamic republic that advocates
tolerance, moderation and freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice. We
look to the future with hope and confidence as we set Pakistan on a course to
political stability, social harmony, and economic prosperity for all.
The PTI is not merely a political party; it is a broad based movement that
embraces the interests of all Pakistanis. A people whose cultural and ethnic
diversities blend into common goals and aspirations for a just society based on a
democratic culture and the rule of law.
The PTI is determined to provide a credible new leadership that can restore
Pakistan's political and economic sovereignty through building a new bond of
trust between the government and the people. Only through the active
participation of the people can we collectively mobilize our human and material
resources to forge ahead on the road to a confident and self-reliant nation.
Our Ideology
Pakistanis crave dignity and self-respect. Any hope of recovery from the
multifaceted crisis engulfing the nation remains illusory without reviving the selfesteem
of the people and restoring their confidence in the political leadership. We
can achieve this by following the Principles of “Unity, Faith and Discipline” as
expounded by the Quaid-e-Azam.
PTI is committed to transparency in government and an across the board
accountability. It believes in federalism and functional autonomy of the provinces,
based on the spirit and fundamental principles of parliamentary democracy as
envisaged in the 1973 Constitution.
3
Our strength lies in our people. Human development would thus remain our
highest priority. Pakistan has rich and diverse cultures including those of the
minorities. We must nurture and allow every opportunity for this diversity of
culture and traditions to flourish.
Our family values bind our society. Despite the grinding poverty and injustice that
beset us today, it is the structure of the family that provides the net that keeps the
social fabric intact. The present dismal state of women and children in terms of
their access to health care, nutrition, and education can not be ignored.
Investment in women and children would ensure that the family structure remains
intact and future generations are brought up in a healthy and secure
environment.
Our Mission
Whilst establishing the rule of law and ensuring protection of human rights
through an independent and honest judiciary, strive for the social development
and economic prosperity of our citizens, especially the poor and underprivileged
masses.
Our Goals
• Establish Pakistan as a truly independent and sovereign state that
becomes a source of pride for our people.
• Strengthen state institutions to promote democracy and complete political,
economic and religious freedom for the people.
• Provide an accountable and efficient government that ensures the protection
of life and property of its citizens.
• Launch an Education Revolution to promote universal literacy and raise the
standard of education in our schools, colleges and universities.
• Ensure the availability of adequate Healthcare services for all citizens.
• Highest priority to poverty alleviation through policies aimed at creating more
job opportunities and enabling ownership of assets to the poor.
• A merit based system that provides equal opportunity for employment and
upward social mobility for all, specially the working classes
4
• Create an environment which encourages the private sector to grow and
create greater wealth and employment opportunities.
• End the VIP culture by setting an example in simple living and an austere
lifestyle.
• Eliminate draconian laws that give unchecked power to Police and the
Agencies or which limit the rights of Citizens.
• A self reliant economy which is free of dependence on foreign aid.
• Promote regional peace and strengthen our relationships with friendly
countries.
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
The fundamentals for a free democratic society and democratic culture cannot
flourish without strengthening the vital state institutions which are-the Executive,
the Legislature, and the Judiciary. In Pakistan the credibility of these institutions
to deliver has been undermined by successive governments while corruption at
the highest levels has made them a focus of public scorn and ridicule. The PTI
would restore the credibility of vital state institutions and their moral authority to
govern through a process of reform.
Constitutional Reforms
The 1973 constitution is a unique and historic document, because it was passed
unanimously by the Parliament representing all political parties in the country.
The subsequent battering that it took has left it in tatters. There is a need to go
back to the beginning and revive the Constitution in letter and spirit, by doing
away with the amendments and laws which go against the basic structure and
spirit of the federation and the vision of the Quaid-e- Azam.
By promoting a culture of tolerance and co operation amongst the political
parties, within and outside the assemblies, we shall strive for priority to legislation
benefiting the common man and curtail the Presidential powers of promulgating
ordinances that benefit only a few.
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Judicial Reforms
Repeated interruptions in the democratic process have lot to do with the failure to
strengthen the judiciary. The PTI proposes to take following measures to
strengthen the judicial system:
• Set up a Judicial Commission to recommend and approve judicial
appointments in the High Courts and the Supreme Court and to draw up a
code of ethics for judges and to undertake their accountability;
• Vacancies in the superior courts would be filled up and sufficient number of
courts and judges provided at the lower levels for easy access to justice and
to clear the backlog of cases pending in courts.
• The parallel judicial systems such as special judges will be dispensed with;
• The appointments to subordinate judiciary will be made only through Public
Service Commissions, which will be made autonomous.
• In order to attract the best lawyers to accept judicial appointments,
emoluments of judges will be raised and appropriate facilities provided.
• A Panchayat System, with specific rules and regulations, would be introduced
at the local level to perform primarily as arbitration forums and as Small
Causes Courts;
• The legal aid system for impoverished litigants with good causes will be
strengthened;
• Additional court buildings and facilities will be provided where required and
the existing facilities improved and modernized.
• Court procedures will be simplified and streamlined to avoid unnecessary
expenditure and delays in settlement of cases.
• The legal education system will be reformed to raise standards and facilities
for higher legal education.
Electoral Reforms
Elections in a democratic society are critical milestones to further strengthen the
democratic process. They provide a sifting course through which the quality of
leadership progressively improves. Without major reforms, there is little hope that
more elections under the present institutional framework can ever propel an
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honest leadership that this country so desperately needs. To ensure free and fair
elections with maximum turnout, the PTI proposes to institute the following
electoral reforms:
• Strengthen the Election Commission’s capacity to enforce electoral rules and
regulations by ensuring complete administrative and financial autonomy.
Appropriate administrative powers across the country shall be given to the
chief election commissioner for the election period.
• Provide for easy registration of voters instead of the current cumbersome
process.
• Easy access to voters list for people to check their votes, by putting these
online and displaying at convenient places.
• Ban appointment, transfers, and promotions of civil servants after the
announcement of the election schedule without the permission of the Election
Commission;
• A person convicted of any genuine criminal offence and sentenced to
imprisonment would be barred from contesting elections even if an appeal is
pending in any court of law;
• Those who have had loans written off and resorted to deliberate loan defaults
would be barred from contesting elections.
Strengthening the Federation
Federalism by definition means a form of government in which the constitution
distributes powers between center and provinces including the power to
promulgate laws, collect and share revenues, and maintain law and order. True
devolution of power can only start with giving due autonomy to the provinces as
envisaged in the Constitution.
The PTI believes that citizens of the four federating units have equal rights to
education, health care, economic growth opportunities, and justice. To date, the
revenue sharing criteria for all finance awards was based purely on population. In
a federation where the federating units differ widely in terms of per capita income,
population density, administrative infrastructure, ability to raise taxes, and fiscal
discipline, it is not fair to base the revenue sharing formula on population only.
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The present resource distribution formula deprives the people of some regions
and provinces of their self sustenance needs and condemns them to perpetual
poverty and poor quality of life. The bulk of provincial resources come from taxes
collected and distributed by the federal government. Without equitable sharing of
resources between provinces, the impact of devolving powers to the provinces
and the districts would be of little consequence. The PTI intends to strengthen the
federation by introducing following reforms;
• Provincial autonomy as envisaged in the constitution will be adhered to in
letter and spirit.
• Allow greater administrative autonomy to the provinces in the appointment
of key civil servants such as; Chief Secretaries, IGs etc.
• The outdated FATA administrative system will be done away with through
appropriate amendments in the FCR based on the wishes of the people of
FATA. .Powers in FATA shall be devolved to lower level in conformity with
the system in the settled areas. .Party Act shall also be made applicable to
FATA areas.
• The NFC shall have a permanent secretariat with sufficient financial
resources to conduct independent economic and other surveys as may be
required from time to time
• Level of human development in each province would be an additional
criteria for determining provincial share of the divisible pool;
• The Federal Share in the net proceeds of divisible pool taxes would be
reduced in line with requirements determined through studies and surveys
• The task of assessing royalties for provinces will be entrusted to an
independent body;
• Provincial finance commissions would be strengthened for fiscal discipline,
resource mobilization, and resource distribution within each province
Local Government
The newly created local government institutions have been turned into a political
tool in the hands of the government. The system perpetuated by giving total
power to one individual; the District Nazim, who is not directly elected by the
8
people, will be reviewed and replaced by a system that is equitable and is in
accordance with the aspirations of the people.
PTI shall strive towards creating a set of local institutions in which people can
repose their trust and confidence. Citizen’s and Community boards would be
created to monitor the delivery of services. This will bring government closer to
the people and make it more responsive and accountable. The PTI proposes the
following specific reforms.
• Local government institutions will be accountable to the Provincial
assemblies;
• District Nazim will be elected from amongst the Town and union Nazims
who are directly elected by the people;
• Responsibility and authority of each tier of the local government will be
clearly defined;
• PFC’s in all the provinces will be required to allocate and provide the
required funds directly to all the local governments instead of routing these
through the district nazims
• Financial transparency will be ensured in awarding and implementation of
projects.
Administrative Reforms
The reform of the bureaucracy is essential for efficient service delivery and
implementation of socio-economic development agenda. Civil service reforms
would be instituted to provide all necessary support to the civil servants to
perform and live a life of dignity and respect. Necessary checks and balances
would be put in place to hold them accountable for their acts as custodians of
public trust. The PTI would introduce the following reforms in the civil service:
• Public Service Commissions (PSC’s) would be made fully autonomous
administratively and financially. Political appointments in PSC’s will be
discontinued. Such appointments will be made purely on merit and in a
transparent manner.
• Appointments to the civil service at all levels would be made by the public
service commissions. No exceptions will be allowed;
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• System of examinations conducted by the public service commission shall
be reviewed to ensure that equal opportunity was provided to all
candidates from all parts of the country. The present system that tends to
give preference to those who come through the educational systems that
is largely available to the elites will be eliminated..
• PTI shall ensure that the Government undertakes appropriate career
planning exercise for the civil servants in order to improve the fast
deteriorating levels of governance at all levels and ensure that the
bureaucracy delivers the required services to all sections of the society
effectively and efficiently.
• Introduce minimum tenures for senior civil servant posts such as federal
and provincial secretaries, chief secretaries, IG and DIGs etc;
• Enhance access of information to the general public to the maximum
extent feasible by reviewing and revising laws and regulations concerning
confidentiality;
• Give constitutional protection to public servants to perform their official
functions and protect them against political interference;
• Re-train the bureaucracy to meet new challenges.
Police Reforms
The security of life and property of citizens is one of the primary responsibilities of
the state. Without this fundamental protection, investment and economic growth
is not possible. The police system in Pakistan has suffered due to political
considerations over-riding merit and due process of law.
The PTI proposes to transform the police system, which is based on coercion to a
service oriented police by instituting the following reforms:
• Set up a Permanent Public Safety Commissions at the Federal and
Provincial levels to reform the police system;
• Legislate to expunge or modify laws which give unfettered power to the
police to arrest citizens.
• Ensure recruitments on merit and develop a training system that
orientates the police towards helping citizens.
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• Legislate to provide security of service to police officers and thus free
them from political interference. At the same time set up a system of
accountability to ensure that the police do not violate the law or the rights
of citizens.
• Increase salaries and facilities commensurate with a decent standard of
living.
• Equip police with modern arms and communication facilities;
• Give greater importance to setting up of CPLCs, to increase interaction of
the police and citizens;
• Modernize and upgrade police stations to become user friendly centers for
help to needy citizens;
• Improve the conditions in our Jails to make them function as Correction
Centers and eliminate the practice of police torture;
• Rationalize and reform the intelligence gathering agencies to refocus on
intelligence gathering against crime rather then chasing political
opponents.
Corruption and Accountability
Corruption is endemic in our society because it flows from the top. A major
reason for this is the centralization of authority in the hands of the top
administration officials. Discretionary funds at the disposal of top political officials
are misused for political patronage and to oblige supporters. Lack of
transparency in government and increasing defence and administrative
expenditure create greater opportunity for corruption. The accountability
mechanism is not only weak but is being used for political ends.
To reduce corruption and make the accountability process more credible, the PTI
shall:
• Revise the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance to make NAB
a completely independent body. The head of the NAB would be a person
of unquestioned integrity while other members would be from the higher
judiciary, retired civil servants, eminent lawyers and citizens with
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unblemished records. The post of chairman NAB shall be provided
constitutional protection.
• NAB shall function under the administrative control of the JUDICIAL
COMMISSION.
• Strengthen the role of Public Accounts Committees in monitoring
government financial transactions;
• Discretionary funds at the disposal of high officials will be subjected to
proper audit by the PAC
• Make the government contract awarding system transparent by making
the concerned regulatory authorities autonomous, effective and efficient.
• Reduce the role of government by revising rules and regulations and
doing away with ineffective and unproductive government departments.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Poverty prevails among the masses and there is little improvement in the social
indicators. Universal primary education is an elusive dream. Access to basic
health care remains poor with infant mortality rate one of the highest in the world.
The present population growth rate of 2.2 percent is still amongst the highest in
the world. An estimated 8 million children suffer severe malnourishment. The
government's estimate that 63 percent of population has access to safe drinking
water is unrealistic. Social sector development would thus receive the highest
priority from PTI.
Poverty Reduction
Independent estimates place poverty incidence in Pakistan at between 30 to 35
percent. Government claims about poverty reduction and that economic growth
has trickled down to the poor is not credible. Economic growth does not always
benefit the poor. If the growth in output is achieved through capital-intensification
of the production process, employment growth is unlikely to match output growth.
Further, if growth occurs in sectors that provide salaried as opposed to wage
employment, the poor are not likely to benefit.
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Various microfinance schemes have been launched, but there is no evidence that
microfinance has led to reduction of poverty. On the other hand, research has
shown that ownership or access to assets is the single most powerful variable
that reduces poverty and contributes to economic empowerment of the poor.
Rural poverty incidence among families owning some land – even as low as one
acre – is 17 percent, which rises to 32 percent for families that own no land.
Similarly housing and employment are important poverty reduction variables in
urban areas.
In terms of poverty reduction strategy, it is shown that in rural areas ownership of
assets (land and/or cattle) reduces the chances of being poor by 55 percent. In
urban areas, employment is shown to reduce the chances of being poor by 45
percent.
Fiscal policy also plays a very important role. The current fiscal policy structure is
unjust in the sense that the poor are subsidizing the rich by carrying a much
larger responsibility of tax payments through indirect taxation. The tax structure
shall be made more equitable.
Our poverty reduction strategy will focus on:
• Rural land reforms, such that the maximum numbers of rural households
own a minimum-specified area of land.
• Urban land policy, such that state and military controlled land in urban
areas is allocated for development of housing estates, with on average 3
marla/80 square yards plots.
• The share of direct taxes in total tax revenues is raised through taxation of
wealth and capital gains.
Education for All
The quality of public sector education at all levels has degenerated. Children from
households in the top 20 percent in urban areas showed gross enrollment two
and half times greater then children from the poorest 20 percent of rural
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households. Overall the gross enrollment rates for middle level (classes 6-8)
have decreased. It is indeed shameful that only 16 percent of children aged 10-
12 attend middle level schooling. There are approximately 175,000 Government
schools in Pakistan that offer substandard education, inadequate teachers,
facilities and materials. A cost effective model is needed to raise the level of
education across this massive school network.
Unregulated growth of private sector primary education has led to a system of
educational apartheid. Quality education has become an exclusive preserve of
the elite thus forcing the majority to perpetual ignorance and poverty. While the
rich send their children to expensive English medium schools, the majority poor
are forced to send their children to antiquated Urdu medium public schools or
Madrassahs. As a result, despite the huge increase in population, the proportion
of students attending government primary schools declined, particularly in the
urban areas where the private sector now accounts for almost half of primary
enrollments.
Quality of higher education has also deteriorated with exodus of qualified
professionals and continues to decline in the professional capacity of faculty
members. Applied research is almost non-existent. For a country of 160 million,
there are only 85 universities with approved charters, of which only 8 in the public
sector and 18 in the private sector, are degree awarding institutions.
The PTI is determined to launch a national education movement based on equity
to achieve increased access and improved quality of education at all levels. PTI
proposes to:
• Abolish educational apartheid by introducing a common core syllabus for
all schools;
• Progressively increase state spending on education from less than 1.5%
to five percent of the Gross Domestic Product;
• Lay emphasis on teacher training by setting up standard facilities in all
districts to ensure the availability of sufficient number of local teachers in
each district
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• Launch a national literacy campaign by mobilizing all segments of society
including, fresh graduates, unemployed youth and retired educationists to
achieve 80 percent functional literacy;
• Ensure access to primary education for all children by adding schools
managed by local councils.
• Reduce the drop out rate at elementary level by offering incentives in the
shape of free text books, nutrition support through mid-day meals, and
stipends;
• Set up an elite education service by offering market salaries to
government teachers at all levels to attract the best and make teaching
the most sought after profession again;
• Make universities fully autonomous to be managed by boards comprising
educationists, philanthropists, and eminent citizens and ensure academic
freedom to faculty members;
• Establish a public university in collaboration with the private sector in each
district.
• Design and implement a scholarship scheme for top students from each
board examination;
• Formulate a policy to encourage greater public-private partnership in
expanding the network of educational institutions and in improving their
standards;
• Create an autonomous monitoring authority to check and provide
feedback on the quality of education at all levels;
• Offer tax incentives to industry in general and agri-based industry in
particular for investment in vocational and technical education in the rural
areas.
Healthy People - Healthy Nation
The PTI plans to revamp and upgrade the public health care system in Pakistan
in line with its slogan "healthy people, healthy nation." by putting in place
following reforms:
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• Progressively double state spending on health, establish a threshold for
setting up of basic health units in order to extend the facility to the village
level.
• Target to achieve100 per cent immunization of children against
preventable diseases;
• Policy emphasis on preventive healthcare particularly in communicable
and infectious diseases, reproductive health care, pre and post-natal
health care to drastically reduce infant mortality rate and under-five
mortality rate;
• Ensure universal access to clean drinking water in all villages and urban
slums by setting up water filtration plants;
• Improving sanitation through better sewerage and drainage schemes in
urban areas
• Decentralization of healthcare services with greater management and
monitoring role of local councils over basic healthcare centers particularly
with facilities for mother and child care;
• Introduce tele-medicine in upgraded rural health centers and hospitals
using Internet and telecommunications infrastructure;
• Revise the pricing policy for drugs including import duties and levies to
ensure that essential drugs are available at affordable prices;
• Encourage private-public partnership under a policy which provides
affordable healthcare services;
• Institutionalize the autonomy of Government hospitals
• Introduce low-cost health insurance schemes and concessional health
care schemes for the elderly and poor
• Bring accountability of doctors, para-medical and non-medical staff in their
professional duties at Government and private hospitals and healthcare
centers by formulating a policy in consultation with their representative
associations.
Population Welfare
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The continuing high population growth rate is a major national concern and strain
on national resources. Rapid population growth means greater development
needs and stress on the existing physical infrastructure.
The PTI will launch a national campaign on population welfare and make it an
integral part of the national health policy. Greater access to quality education
would go a long way creating greater awareness on population related issues.
PTI will:
• Launch public awareness campaigns on population welfare and reinforce
Programmes to reduce the population growth rate from 2.2 percent to 1.6
percent;
• Introduce integrated comprehensive population welfare Programmes to
improve the impact of existing projects by expanding coverage and
improved management;
• Introduce modern family planning methods that allow women increased
options on family planning services;
Housing
Adequate shelter is a fundamental human need. Ever increasing migration of the
rural population to urban centers and inadequate resources for housing has
made planned housing development critical to provide adequate housing for all.
Almost 40 percent of the urban population, lives in slums without basic amenities
such as access to clean drinking water, sanitation, drainage, and solid waste
disposal, because of a lack of proper town planning. PTI plans to initiate major
low cost housing programmes in urban areas through following measures:
• Under a revised national housing policy facilitate shelter to all in urban
slums and initiate construction of 5.0 Lac. new housing units each year;
• Develop a policy of leasing and mortgage of property.
• Review the urban building codes and construction bye laws and ensure
compliance; and
• Make credit available for housing on friendly terms.
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Youth
Youth would be in the vanguard of PTI's national revival efforts. The energies
and idealism of the youth shall be harnessed to act as the locomotive of national
change. The youth would be the focus of PTI’s education, health care, and
economic plans. Under a national youth policy, they would be actively involved in
rural reconstruction, drainage and sanitation, social forestry, public health
awareness campaigns, environment protection and adult literacy.
Competitive sports can play a critical role in improving the health, leadership
qualities, discipline, and building team work attributes in the youth. Greater sports
activities also prevent the youth from pursuing social evils such as drugs etc. A
national youth policy will be introduced with emphasis on a comprehensive sports
policy for setting up in each district international level facilities for cricket, hockey,
football and other sports..
Empowerment of Women
The PTI is determined to introduce and implement new laws, policies, and
programmes to provide a level playing field for the social, political, and economic
growth of women. Empowerment of women is directly linked to their greater
economic role, which is dependent on increased access to education and skill
development. The PTI will bring women in the mainstream of national social and
economic development. It aims to
• Provide free education to girls up to Matric;
• Introduce scholarships for graduation in pursuit of higher education in
computer sciences, medicine, management, and engineering;
• Create social awareness against un Islamic customs and cruel practices
such as Sawarra in NWFP and Karo Kari in Sindh and enforce laws to
eradicate such practices;
• Provide housing and child care assistance to working women;
• Encourage the active involvement of women in the management of
community based rural development initiatives;
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• Develop a national programme for vocational and skill-based training for
income generation;
• Design and implement special functional literacy programmes for women;
• Legislate and enforce laws for in-camera trial of molestation and rape
cases;
• Establish separate "women support cells" in each police station at tehsil
level which are managed and run by women to support and process
criminal cases in which women are the accused; and
• Legislate and enforce a special law on violence against women.
Environment
The reckless policies of the past without due regard to environmental concerns
has put considerable pressure on the environment and natural resources, so vital
to the future generations of Pakistan. Inappropriate and ill-conceived projects
have put under extreme stress our land, soil, water, forests, and wildlife. High
population growth rate is an additional source of environmental degradation. Our
forests are dwindling, leading to erosion of valuable topsoil threatening the
livelihood of people living in the mountains. The uncontrolled growth of urban
areas with poor sanitation conditions is threatening natural ecosystems.
The PTI commits itself to a sustainable development through an equitable use
of resources for meeting the needs of the present and future generations;
• Expedite the implementation of the national environment action plan
(NEAP);
• National/Public parks will be set up across the country
• Enforce the Environment Protection Act 1997 which provides a framework
for conservation of wildlife and biodiversity, establishment of
environmental tribunals and magistrates, inclusion of environmental issues
in school curriculum, and public awareness;
• Design national guidelines and modules for the development of towns and
cities as a planning and implementation tool for urban development;
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• Introduce and enforce byelaws to control land, air and water pollution by
industry and urban centers.
• Eliminate timber Mafia and ensure transfer of economic benefits to the
local inhabitants from legal logging;
• Ban import of hazardous chemical wastes for recycling by any industry or
for dumping;
• Launch a national campaign of forestation;
• Develop and implement community based programmes for conversion of
degraded forests and wasteland into quality forests;
• Deny exploitation of offshore resources, especially marine life, by big
trawlers;
• Offer incentives to the private sector to invest in research and
development in environment-friendly technology for application in
agriculture, industry and the services sector; and
• Develop programmes to clean our river systems, streams and other water
bodies.
ECONOMIC REVIVAL
The most serious aspect of our dire economic situation is the growing debt that
limits the fiscal space to invest in human development and infrastructure. Nearly
50 million Pakistanis, a half of our population, live in extreme poverty and subhuman
conditions, and their number is growing rapidly.
The challenge is the mobilization of local resources including local investment
opportunities to surmount low investment, poor productivity and degrading
physical and social infrastructure. Only when local investors feel safe and
confident to invest will overseas Pakistanis followed by Strategic foreign
investors invest in the economy. Local investment would result in growth that will
generate employment, remove poverty and create prosperity. Agriculture is the
mainstay of our economy and investment in agriculture would help to eliminate
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poverty as studies have shown that extreme poverty is more prevalent in rural
areas compared to urban centers.
Economic Policy
Our economic policy will be based on limiting the role of the government to
create an environment conducive for wealth creation through legal means and
removing bureaucratic and other impediments, which inhibit investment. To
reverse the cycle of ever increasing poverty, the PTI aims to formulate policies
for a sustainable at least 8 per cent annual GDP growth rate.
Agriculture would receive the greatest attention as poverty is more acute in the
rural areas and the potential for growth in agriculture and agri-based industry far
surpass any other sector of the economy. We plan to achieve macro-economic
stability and rapid growth by following economic fundamentals of fiscal balance,
investment in human and physical infrastructure, stable rupee, moderate
inflation, easy availability of credit to agriculture and business, and promotion of
small to medium business enterprises and industry. The major economic policy
planks will be to:
• Implement a long-term debt management strategy and divert savings from
debt servicing to human development;
• Conduct an international audit of all loans secured by Pakistan to establish
their utilization;
• Negotiate a long-term debt management strategy with the donors to limit
the annual debt repayment to a percentage of the foreign exchange
earnings.
• Enact and enforce laws to establish broad policy guidelines for new loans
including a limit for new debt and stop the policy of seeking loans at
commercial rates;
• Negotiate debt swap and mobilize resources for investments
• Reduce non development government expenditures.
• Rationalize the Defence expenditure and subject the defence budget to a
parliamentary scrutiny committee.
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• Investment priority on sectors with greater potential for employment
generation, including small to medium scale rural industries, infrastructure,
housing (urban and rural), agriculture, and forestry;
• Encourage investment in industry by removing bureaucratic hurdles and
by improving the efficiency of the capital market to attract investment from
small investors;
• Revamp and divest non-strategic public sector organizations to Pakistani
investors.
• Rationalize subsidies to protect weaker sections of society;
• Introduce institutional mechanisms to interact on a daily basis between the
industry and the government;
• Plan for the timely provision of good seeds and unadulterated pesticides;
• A water conservation and equitable distribution plan that maximizes
agricultural production;
• Revamp and reinvent the tax collection machinery of the Central Board of
Revenue; and
Tax Reforms
The complexity of the tax law is the single most important factor responsible for
most of the revenue losses. The current tax system is indefensible. It is complex,
burdensome, and severely limits economic opportunity. Our tax philosophy is to
encourage and motivate citizens to create wealth and share part of their hardearned
income by paying tax at a lower rate. PTI envisions to:
• Introduce a tax system that is fair, flatter, and simpler;
• Progressively reduce federal taxes to five in all at reasonable rates;
• Professionalize tax administration and make CBR autonomous;
• Change source of revenue from indirect to direct taxation thus reducing
the burden on the common citizen;
• Simplify the tax system by eliminating unnecessary paperwork;
• Eliminate exemptions through SROs that only benefit special interest
groups;
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• Provide incentives to raise savings rate from 12 percent to 20 percent of
GDP;
• Introduce a tax system that allows people to compute their taxes easily,
for example on the Internet, without the need for a lawyer or an
accountant
Agriculture - Backbone of Our Economy
Investment in agriculture is the quickest and surest way for rapid economic
recovery and reducing poverty as it accounts for 25 percent of the GDP and
employs 45 percent of the country's labor force. Agriculture cannot just be viewed
as a source of food. Gross agricultural production in Pakistan can be increased 2
to 3-fold by an efficient, scientifically planned use of the existing resources. It
requires relatively simple innovations and would depend mainly on more efficient
management of the complex agricultural enterprise, comprising the following:
Resource Use Planning
Improved Post Harvest Processing and Marketing
Improved Crop Modeling and Support Price Mechanism
Strengthening of Agriculture Institutions
Introduction of Urban Agriculture
Developing Agro-climatology
Harnessing Additional Water Resources
There is no effective substitute to building additional large storage dams on the
Indus. The process of developing a political consensus on this issue should be
started without delay. Simultaneously, efforts should be made to use irrigation
water in response to crop needs. The present method of flood irrigation thru a
fixed wara bundi system is highly wasteful and results in only about 20%
efficiency of water use for actual crop production. Water use efficiency in some of
the middle-eastern countries (Cyprus, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan) is close to
75-80% of the theoretical application efficiency. Since we are now a water-scarce
country, we must reflect this fact in price fixation of irrigation water and develop
improved methods for water application to increase efficiency. Simultaneously
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the huge wastage of water thru leakage/seepage from canals and watercourses
should be reduced, especially in saline areas. The PTI commits itself to reforming
agriculture by:
• Linking prices for agriculture produce to input costs;
• Introducing a nationwide crop and livestock insurance scheme;
• Allocating 65 per cent of ADP funds for agricultural and rural development
to improve the rural physical and social infrastructure such as, irrigation,
roads, transport, power, telecommunication, credit facilities, access to safe
drinking water, education, health-care, sanitation and housing;
• Allowing free movement of food grains throughout the country;
• Introduce corporate agriculture by encouraging private sector investment
in farming;
• Encouraging social forestry, horticulture, vegetable growing, floriculture,
sericulture, mushroom farming;
• Encouraging inland fisheries, and bee-keeping;
• Encouraging small-scale rural cottage industry by providing easy access
to credit at low interest rates;
• Set up a network of service centers for farmers at tehsil level and
introduce Tele-Agriculture to feed vital information to farmers;
• Reforming land acquisition laws and computerize land records, ownership
and all other relevant information;
• Boosting export of high value and processed agriculture produce;
• Investing more in barani agriculture productivity;
• Introducing weekly Mandis in rural towns and villages;
• Introducing wind and solar energy wherever feasible for supplying power
exclusively to villages that have no electrification.
• Introducing special credit schemes for drought hit farmers to reinvest in
livestock and farming;
• Reform education in villages and rural towns to incorporate agriculture
related subjects in the curriculum in rural schools.
Irrigation
PTI will undertake the following reforms measures in the field of irrigation:
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• 50 percent increase irrigation area in 10 years through construction and
optimal use of small, medium and large irrigation projects;
• Provide incentives for the use of alternative sources of irrigation such as
drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, and.
• Develop a 20 year master plan for water storage including construction of
dams including utilizing floodwaters for irrigation.
Land Reforms
The PTI is committed to introduce following land reforms:
• Monitor the ownership and use of distributed state land and ensure credit
and agriculture support services to farmers;
• Computerize land records
• Initiate separate monitoring mechanisms to monitor the settlement of land
ceiling disputes and to improve the timely settlement of cases and
enforcement of verdicts; and
• Expedite distribution of cultivable state land among landless farmers.
Development of Industry
Revival of industrial growth is essential for the revival of the economy. The PTI
will:
• Provide special incentive and credit package to support small to medium
scale industry.
• Encourage efficient and healthy capital market for facilitating investment
and allowing profitable investment opportunities to small investors;
• Improve the regulatory efficiency of the Security and Exchange
Commission in particular its role in ensuring timely dividends to investors;
• Promote venture capital;
• Bring equity and streamline merger, liquidation, and take-over rules and
regulations and monitor the performance of the SECP in implementing the
rules; and
• Develop framework for pension fund investment in the capital market.
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Small and Medium Enterprises
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the growth engines of the economy
and account for 94% of growth in developed economies of the world. In Pakistan
these businesses account for 30% of our GDP but provide employment to
approximately 70% of our labour force. The SME sector has been long neglected
and has not been able to play the role that they have the potential of playing in
the country’s economic development.
Although, some strides have been made in the past years to provide SMEs
access to finance, we feel that this is not enough. What the SMEs require is
business support services to enable them to profitably and productively access
this financing. Such services will provide the SMEs with the knowledge of
approaching banks, improving processes and quality of goods and accessing
new markets, especially export markets. Moreover, the financial institutions
themselves need to re-orient themselves and create a capacity of being able to
cater to the SMEs. PTI will follow a strategy to:
• Encourage the setting up of Business Support Services (BSS) Providers in
the private sector. These BSS providers will engage with SMEs in a handholding
exercise to improve their awareness of global issues that effect
businesses and to raise them to the next level of international best
practices;
• Encourage creation of linkages between SMEs and large businesses to
ensure markets for their goods; and
• Improve the working of financial institutions so that they, too, have the
capacity of assessing SME risk, designing products suitable to them and
providing timely financial assistance.
• Recognizing the absence of suitable professionals for SME lending and
development, we will introduce curriculum in leading business (and other)
schools, wherein this will be taught as a subject. This will then ensure that
in future, the country has a cadre of individuals who are well versed in
SME lending techniques and in SME development issues.
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Labor Reforms
PTI intends to rationalize, simplify, and enforce labor laws to ensure:
• All rights associated with trade union activities;
• The implementation of the already guaranteed profit sharing system;
• The repeal of repressive labor laws, and amendments in the trade unions
act and other laws to bring these in line with provisions of the Convention
of the International Labor Organization to which Pakistan is a signatory;
• The extension of the scope of labor laws to include labor hired by
contractors under the "Thekedari system" so as to protect their rights to
bargaining;
• The reorganization of existing Social Security institutions to eliminate
corruption and ensure that the funds paid by employers to the Employees
Old-age Benefit Institution and other social security institutions reach the
employees;
• The provision of job security to workers and insurance and social
security/unemployment cover, and strengthening of ‘safety net’ in
consultation with economic experts and Trade Unions;
• Representation for working classes in the National and Provincial
Assemblies and local bodies; and
• Improved vocational training opportunities for labor to raise their technical
skills, productivity and incomes.
Privatization Policy
We believe that privatization has an important role to play in the development of
our country, but disposing off national assets must be done in a planned and
transparent manner, with the proceeds being used for debt retirement or for other
clearly stated national priorities. Indiscriminate privatization under the present
military government because of its insatiable need for cash to finance its
spending sprees, has led to tremendous abuse and corruption. Examples in this
regard are the aborted sale of the Steel Mills, the handover of the KESC to
private parties and that of PTCL, whose new owners have been given
extraordinary concessions to the detriment of other local competitors. The new
owners of banks such as HBL, Allied, UBL and some energy companies have
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made manifold returns on equity for their new owners in very short periods. A
significant contribution to these profits has been the enormous spreads between
deposit and lending rates of banks during the last two to three years. It also
shows how little concern has been given to the plight of the ordinary depositor
who is their major customer.
PTI believes that privatization must take place under clear policy guidelines by an
independent privatization commission that is professionally run and under the
strict surveillance of parliament. Our policy will ensure that privatization is held
with all possible transparency and with full public consultation. We intend to put in
place the following principles:
• Strengthening of all respective Industrial Regulators (NEPRA, OGRA, SBP
etc) and to give them full (not token) independence to ensure that the
consumer’s interest is fully protected.
• A transparent and public consultative process on the assets that are to be
privatized.
• A transparent and public process for the sale of assets.
• Preference will be given to local investors or sales through the stock
exchanges.
• A detailed quarterly report on the privatization process to parliament to
ensure that the process remains open and transparent.
Tourism
Tourism would be encouraged as a means for generating employment and
investment in the local economy. The PTI will:
• Promote domestic tourism to forge national cohesion;
• Develop a national policy for tourism to encourage small to medium
investors in promoting domestic tourism; and
• Prepare a comprehensive policy with the allocation of necessary
resources to protect national heritage;
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Energy Sector
The PTI will re-focus investment in the energy sector from thermal and furnace
oil to hydel, coal, and gas for power generation. The de-regulation and
liberalization policy would aim to develop local energy resources for consumption
at affordable rates.
• Restructuring of WAPDA would be expedited to improve the efficiency of
power generation, transmission and distribution;
• Develop a commercially viable power tariff structure that protects the
weaker sections of society from unbridled increase in utility rates and yet
generates enough resources for future investment;
• Expediting rural electrification so that 80 percent of the villages have
power;
• Encourage CNG use-Introduce policy for conversion of all public
commercial vehicles to CNG;
• Introduce a policy with time bound objectives for the promotion of nonconventional
sources of energy such as wind and solar power;
• Nuclear power programme will be expanded; and
• In the oil and coal sector, encourage local private sector in extraction and
encourage joint ventures with foreign companies.
Communication Infrastructure
Pakistan's physical communication infrastructure is antiquated and impedes
economic growth. The road network requires major investment for rehabilitation
and upgradation while the railway system continues to suffer the ill effects of
years of neglect and mismanagement.
• A comprehensive restructuring plan would be prepared to upgrade the
physical communications infrastructure.
• Introduce public-private partnership in improving the efficiency of the
railway system;
• Railway cargo services with container transport will be encouraged;
• The National Highways Authority will identify the most heavily used
sections of the national highway system to formulate and implement an
up-gradation plan;
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• All the four provincial capitals would be linked with four lane (two lane
each way) highway;
• Streamline cargo flights based on commercial requirements with seasonal
fluctuations-initiate cargo flights from Quetta for export of high value fruits;
• Invest in improving the efficiency of the ports for cargo handling to reduce
turnaround time; and
• Gwadar port would be upgraded and linked to national highway grid.
Telecommunications and Information Technology
Modern telecommunication services are essential pre-requisite for human and
economic development. The recent progress in the access to Internet facilities
would be sustained and expanded. Already, about 500 cities, towns, and villages
have access to Internet. The PTI will initiate the following reforms in the telecom
sector:
• The PTA would be made more autonomous.
• Rules and regulations would be streamlined to eliminate discrimination
and provide a level playing field between government-owned and private
telecom companies;
• Increase foreign currency holding ceiling for software exporters from 35
percent to 75 percent; and
• Provide free Internet connections all private recognized IT institutes and
universities.
NATIONAL SECURITY
To achieve our Aims of economic prosperity and Human development, we need
to ensure peace in our region. Conflicts within or across our borders will only
divert the national resources and energies. The external threat to our country has
been minimized by our nuclear and deterrent capability, but the conflict in
Afghanistan is already having an adverse impact in our western border areas.
We must arrest this spread of militancy through effective diplomatic measures
and a show of force where necessary.
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Foreign Policy
Our foreign policy has been susceptible to manipulation because of internal
political instability and weak leadership. The events since September 11 have
reinforced the need for an independent foreign policy that has the backing of the
people and can withstand the pressures brought to bear by external interests. As
a free and sovereign state we must not bend to the dictates of alien interests and
buckle under economic blackmail.
The present campaign against terrorism runs the risk of polarizing the world and
raising the specter of a clash of ideologies. The shortsighted policies of the
present government have pitted the Army against our own people, creating a
national crisis for the sake of petty political gains. The PTI rejects all forms of
political and economic hegemony. Our foreign policy will:
• Promote regional peace with all neighboring countries based on sovereign
equality, mutual benefit and non – interference in each other’s internal
affairs.
• Pursue our political and economic interests more proactively
• Work towards peaceful co-existence with India based on sovereign
equality, and a just solution of outstanding disputes;
• Resolutely support the Kashmiri freedom struggle and promote resolution
of the dispute on the basis of their right of self-determination, on the basis
of UN resolutions;
• Establish a new paradigm of mutually beneficial relations with the USA
based on shared interests and common values;
• Consolidate further the close traditional friendship with the Peoples
Republic of China by substantially increasing cooperation in commerce,
trade, and security areas;
• Actively promote unity and closer economic and security ties among
Islamic States, in particular with our neighbours Iran, Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf states
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• Support efforts for rapid return to normalcy in Afghanistan by
strengthening the unique and close relations with Afghanistan;
• Seek improvement of relations with Russia and enhance cooperation for
mutual benefit
• Maintain traditionally cordial relations and mutually beneficial collaboration
with Europe, in particular the EU.
• Seek broader avenues of economic interaction with ASEAN, Japan, Africa
and Latin America.
• Seek full membership of the SCO – the Shangai Cooperation Organization
• Closely coordinate our negotiating position on WTO matters with like
minded country
Security
The PTI recognizes the necessity of maintaining and developing an effective
capacity for the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
PTI are committed to:
• Strengthen country's nuclear deterrent;
• Continue to test and deploy ballistic missiles with a view to increasing their
range and accuracy;
• Rationalize the size and structure of our armed forces in view of the
strength gained from our deterrence capability
• Initiate urgent measures to strengthen the air and naval arms of the armed
forces in addition to focus on modernizing the army;
• Pay special attention to the needs of the retired military personnel.