Why the People’s Party? Speech at Party Meeting, Peshawar, October 27, 1968

I cannot tender you any other advice but that the Pakistan People’s Party is a party which has come into being on the basis of certain principles. Those principles are democracy, which is our polity, socialism, which is our economic programme, and Islam, which is our religion. We are struggling for these principles. The spokesmen of the regime say that the opposition parties don’t have a programme. I can’t speak on behalf of other opposition parties but our party has presented a solid programme. We have clearly enunciated our policies in our manifesto. We have explained in detail as to what our policy will be towards industry and agriculture. We have explained clearly as to how we propose to bring prosperity to the common man. We have made this abundantly clear in our manifesto.

But what about the policies of this Government? What are the guiding principles of their policies? They have not presented an economic programme during the last ten years. If their programme had been based on justice and equality, this country might as well have progressed. The progress of this country is confined to the pages of newspapers or the statements broadcast over the radio. That is the end of all progress. Everybody knows that the wealth of the country is concentrated in the hands of 22 families. Do you find such a state of affairs in any other country of the world? They try to follow America in many ways, but American economic policy is capitalism. They follow the principle of free enterprise. If you look at the American economy, you will not find national wealth in the hands of 22 families.

In fact no country in Asia and Africa can follow in the footsteps of America. When America came into being it was far away from the rest of the world. Wars and political strife in Europe did not affect it. The revolutions that took place in Europe also did not have any effect on the American system. America had a small population, while its resources were immensely vast Because of these two factors the system of free enterprise nourished in America. This happened about two hundred years ago and the system worked quite successfully because of their small population and the presence of large resources like oil. When President Roosevelt was elected, he brought about many reforms to break the monopoly system. He introduced a law which struck at the roots of the monopolies of a few families. This was called the New Deal. So, even in a country like America, which had immense resources as against a small population, many changes had to be brought about.

American policies, cannot, however, succeed in other countries. Pakistan has very limited resources and a large population. The policy of free enterprise can never be successful in Pakistan. It will only lead to an increase in poverty. These few families can never be patriots. Why? Because they know that this system is unnatural and the money they make, they take it out of the country and deposit it in the banks of Switzerland. They know that the day is coming when people will not tolerate this state of affairs. They will then be turned but of the country. They are preparing to meet the challenge. They know that they will be the first victims, if the people wake up and struggle for a change. They know that they have suppressed the people too long and sucked their blood.

The present Government is favoring the 22 families and knows that its end is near. They have got to go because they have based their policy on wrong principles. You can say that some workers are with them. I say that the poor cannot side with them, because they are their enemies. Some students, some laborers, some peasants and some intellectuals are with them. Those who are with them are the enemies of the people. There are many people like that in this world. The Government buys such people. It gives them some office or other temporary benefits. This is how this Government is working. If they find a worker who is important, they give him a petrol pump or they issue him a bus permit. They try to win him over by offering him a job.

In spite of this the majority of workers is not with them. The majority of peasants and students is certainly not with them. As I said yesterday, we may tolerate the injustice done to us, but how can we tolerate the injustice done to our future? The enforcement of the University Ordinance in every university is cruel. Even a tyrant like Hitler did not do a thing like this. How can the majority be with an oppressive Government? This is an anti-people regime. They hate the people. They have no faith in the common man. They don’t depend on the people, they depend on their 22 families, on their wealth, on their police. You have seen the C.I.D, at work. Even our private life is not left alone. The C.I.D, tries to bug our homes. It taps our telephones. If the regime had any faith in the common man, so much secret police would not be needed. We are being followed by the C.I.D, every time we go out even if we go to a private party; they do not bother to take any cover. What does this mean? This only means that their masters have no faith in themselves. They want to rule by force and by suppression of the common man. History tells us that Governments based on force and tyranny never survive. If there is dictatorship in this country, you need not worry Dictatorships have not survived anywhere in the world. This one has to go soon.

Dictatorship may work in other countries for some time, but never in this country because this country is divided into two parts and the two parts are separated by 1,000 miles of hostile territory. If there is some trouble in one part, the armies cannot be brought in from the other part. In Germany and in France the army and the public can easily be moved from one part to the other part. Even in the U.S., which is a very big country, this can be done because there is no enemy territory in between. They have a strong and effective machinery of law and order and the police can be moved in the country very easily. This cannot happen in this country. This country can only progress through political democracy. Do you know what is happening in East Pakistan? We don’t know anything because our press does not give us any news of that side. Similarly, they don’t learn anything of what is happening here. It is an irony that we learn about happenings in East Pakistan through the foreign press and radio. The same is the case in the East. They also come to know about us through the foreign press and radio. A day will come when we will know nothing of what is happening there and they will be quite ignorant of what we are doing in this wing. They have put a curtain between us and then they tell us that they believe in unity. How can the two wings be integrated if they don’t allow us to know anything about each other?

You have disallowed political activity. If Governor Musa can come here and address a public meeting, why can’t we do the same? What is the difference? Will a revolution take place? No, we are not allowed to Speak to the people but they are allowed to do “so. Now Ayub Khan is coming here, but they are not only going to make arrangements for his speech but will also cart thousands in buses to attend his meeting.

We know that there will be hurdles in our way. These hurdles will increase instead of decreasing. Unless we face these trials, unless we sacrifice a little, we are not going to win. Our triumph will be based on sacrifices. Our rulers are as unaware of sacrifices as they are of miser) and pain. They have come into the Government through the backdoor. They don’t know what the conditions in the country are. What are the troubles the common man is suffering? Only those who themselves have suffered know the hardships of the common man. We know them because we are passing through the process. We know what the general condition of the country is. We go to different areas of the country, to Bengal, to Sindh, to Baluchistan and to the Punjab. We come here and we also tour Karachi. We are workers. We tour every part of the land. We see things as they are, with our own eyes. They are sitting in their offices, receiving reports from their officers. The officers will always give an okay report. The officers will always say that the system is working perfectly well and that the country is progressing. That is why the present rulers do not know what is happening in the country. Bribery is on the increase and it will go on increasing. They say they cannot stamp out bribery. They say that bribery prevails in every country. My dear brothers, why can’t bribery be curbed? If it can be rooted out in other countries, why can’t it be done here? There are ways of doing it. But how can they do it when their own hands are not clean? Our party will take special care of it when it comes to power.

When I first announced the formation of a party, we did not have a press to give wide publicity to our views. It was said, “What is the need of a new party? We already have so many parties. These parties should unite. A new party is not required. It is riot easy to form a party.” Of course, it is not easy to form a party where there is dictatorship. It is an uphill task. The very fact that there is a distance of one thousand miles between the two wings of the country is a big hurdle. In spite of this I thought that the only proper course was to form a party. That is the only way to serve the people.

I do not want to comment on the position of other parties. We have said already that we want to cooperate with the opposition parties. You might have noticed that other parties have sometimes criticized the People’s Party. But we have not said anything in reply. We have never criticized any party. We all belong to the opposition and any strife amongst us will only benefit the government. We have to struggle against this dictatorship and this anti-people system. If we fight with each other and weaken each other, we shall not be able to face this dictatorship. We are quiet and shall keep quiet. In a democracy parties should be allowed to present their programmes to the people and if the people accept the programme of a party, that party has a right to come to power. One who wants democracy cannot be against other parties.

I, therefore, do not mean to criticize any party, but if you assess their programme, you will not find anything revolutionary in it to solve the problems of the country. A new party with a new programme and a new zeal is required. It should start a struggle in the country and serve the people. There is internal dissension in other political parties. Rival factions do not tolerate each other. Their feuds are old, 20 to 30 years old. If we bad joined them, we would have got involved. We might not have been able to provide a lead to them as we have done now. We shall work with them and cooperate with them but we cannot join them. They have been there for 10 years, even 20 years. There have been so many problems in the country but you know the progress made by these parties. I won’t say that their methods are wrong but they are certainly out of date. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge. This is not 1930, or 1940, not even 1950. This is 1968.

Times have changed. A new outlook and new methods are required. If we go by old standards, we shall have to confine ourselves to the appreciation of speeches in Assemblies or counting the audience in public meetings of different leaders. Those were comparatively easier days. Things would move at a slow pact. The British had given limited political liberty and the politicians had to work within those limits. They went to Assemblies for a few days. A speech was delivered at a public meeting and government changed. One Ministry was replaced by the other. Those were easier days for political work.

This is a dictatorship. The methods which worked previously will fail BOW. One has to undertake many risks and face many dangers. The method of first asking the students to go as a vanguard and then following them claiming all the credit if they succeed, will not work now. Now the leaders will have to come into the field first. That is why a new party is needed. If that need was not there, I would not have announced the formation of a new party. I am not criticizing anyone. This is a private meeting. I am only trying to explain why we formed a new party. I am invariably asked this question and I have to explain.

Friends! You can very well see the progress made by this party. It is quite evident. As to the difficulties we are facing, the foremost is the propaganda launched against us in the press by the Government. They are issuing all types of false statements while we are not allowed to say anything in reply. I had issued a statement in reply to the nonsense talked by Governor Musa in Hyderabad. The Pakistan Times, Rawalpindi printed a major put of my statement but omitted some very important parts which were unpalatable to the Government. They claimed that they had printed the full text but in fact they had left out the important sentences. That is the treatment we are suffering. If an officer happens to meet us, he is transferred. We are proud of the hurdles being put in our way. Why are they afraid of us? It is because they know that the people are with us. If our programme were wrong, the people would not have supported us. They would have supported others. If the present Government had served the people, if they bad established a system based on justice and equality, the people would have supported them. Popularity is not like sugar cane which you may purchase from the market against payment. The faith of the people is won through hard work, constant struggle, service and sacrifice. We shall Insha Allah achieve our objectives.

When the history of this Government is written, it will be described as a government of liars. The President delivered a speech yesterday about the Decade of Revolution. And in the end, departing from the norm he said. Khuda Hafiz. The Quaid-i-Azam used to end his speeches by saying, Pakistan Zindabad and said Khuda Hafiz only at farewells. I heard him speak at Simla—I was a student there and had gone to see him— after the Conference with the Viceroy and the Congress leaders, and I vividly remember his raising the slogan Pakistan Zindabad at the conclusion of his address. Liaquat Ali Khan used to do the same. Well, since Ayub Khan has said, Khuda Hafiz, we also say Khuda Hafiz to him.