Address to Policemen in Larkana on December 23, 1972

President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reiterated that his Government stood for justice and peace in every sphere of national activities.

In this connection, he said, the Police force should do their best to achieve this objective.

The President was addressing the Police officers and men at the local Police Lines.

The President warned that now no injustice to the poor would be tolerated. Now the Waderas and Zamindars would not be allowed to perpetuate repression on poor and innocent people. All would get justice, he added.

The President told his audience that his Government wanted that Police force should be used for keeping peace in the country and curbing crimes.

The President said that when he said that police should be used for peace, he did not mean that police should sit idle. The police force, he added, must deal sternly with thieves, anti-people and anti-social elements.

The President said that times had changed and that great changes had taken place all over the world. Times, he added, had changed for every person.

He said that those who did not keep pace with the changing times would be left behind in the race for prosperity and progress. In this context, the President advised the Police force also to change their outlook with the changed times and treat the general public politely and with courtesy.

The President said that conditions throughout the world had rapidly changed during the past years and great awakening had taken place everywhere. “Just see the difference in conditions which prevailed in sixties, fifties, forties and thirties that had brought gradually changes in the world.”

The President said that the times even for the Zamindars had now changed. Previously, he said, they used to have great pomp and show but now those were the bygone days.

The President said that now Zamindars could not perpetuate “zulum” on the down-trodden and innocent people. In case anyone of them resorted to injustice and “zulum”, he would invite wrath of law.

The President, during his speech referred to violence and unnecessary demonstrations staged in the streets on one pretext or the other and said that was not the democratic way of achieving objectives.

The issue of recognition of Bangladesh, he said, would be decided by the National Assembly and as such there was no need for the people to come out in the streets, threatening the Government and force the people to stop work. In such events, he said, the poor people generally suffer.

The President said that in a democracy, Assemblies were the proper forum where speeches on national issues could be delivered and if the Government does something wrong, the position could be changed through ballots. The President said that vote was a valuable ‘Amanat’ which should not be wasted.

The President declared that with the setting in of an era of democracy in Pakistan, the dark shadows of dictatorship had vanished.

Explaining the difference between democracy and dictatorship, the President said that while the tenure of a Government in democracy was definitely fixed, it was not so in dictatorship. Elections, he said, are held every five years in democracy and if the Government loses at the polls, it relinquishes power.

He told the Police officers and men that on his visit to the Police Lines he had found that the dispensary and the school in the Police Lines were not properly equipped.

The President announced a grant of Rs. One lac and expressed the hope that this amount would be appropriately utilized by the Larkana Police for their welfare.

The President assured the Police force that with the increase in the resources of the country they would be given more facilities.

Earlier, on his arrival at the Police Lines the President was given a guard of honour by a contingent of the local Police.