LAHORE: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf declared President Asif Ali Zardari to be "the most misunderstood personality in the country" while addressing a seminar organized to mark the president's birthday. The event, titled "President Asif Zardari's Vision for Pakistan's Economic Sovereignty," was held under the auspices of PPP Central Punjab and attended by Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider and PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza as special guests.  

 

Senior party leader Faisal Mir coordinated the ceremony with Sabt Hasan serving as stage secretary.

 In his keynote address, Ashraf emphasized that despite sustained efforts to malign Zardari's reputation, the president had consistently enjoyed divine favor. He pointed to the late Benazir Bhutto's decision to bequeath the party leadership to Zardari through her will as "the ultimate testament of trust," highlighting this as incontrovertible evidence of his leadership credentials.  

 

Ashraf credited Zardari with preserving national unity during Pakistan's most precarious moment following Benazir Bhutto's assassination, recalling how the president's rallying cry of *"Pakistan Khappay"* (Pakistan Must Survive) had prevented the country from potential disintegration. The former prime minister detailed Zardari's economic achievements, particularly his 2008 decision to establish the wheat support price at Rs. 900 per maund, which subsequently led to record agricultural output and eliminated Pakistan's dependence on imported wheat.  

 

The PPP leader enumerated several landmark constitutional and administrative reforms achieved under Zardari's leadership, including the historic restoration of presidential powers to parliament, the constitutional recognition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP), and the establishment of Gilgit-Baltistan's legislative assembly. "History will remember Zardari as the transformative leader who replaced divisive politics with a unifying vision for Pakistan," Ashraf stated, characterizing the president's statesmanship as having fundamentally altered the nation's political trajectory.  

 

 

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider commended Faisal Mir for organizing the "remarkable event,"* calling it a reflection of political acumen. He emphasized that the PPP, as a torchbearer of democracy, must reclaim its rightful place in Punjab. Haider praised Zardari’s sacrifices, including 14 years in prison, and his unwavering loyalty to the Bhutto family. *"Only President Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari can steer Pakistan through current challenges,"* he declared.  

 

PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza hailed Zardari’s life as *"a saga of struggle and sacrifice,"* crediting him for the 18th Amendment and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). *"The PPP is the only party with a legacy of leaders like Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, President Zardari, and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari,"* he stated.  

 

The ceremony concluded with a 70-pound cake-cutting ceremony, followed by a release of party-colored balloons and a light show. The hall echoed with chants from jubilant supporters as the PPP’s youth wing performed *"O Zardari."*  

 

Prominent attendees included Bashir Riaz, Usman Malik, Chaudhry Aslam Gill, Naveed Chaudhry, Barrister Amir Hassan, Dr. Farid Zakaria, Dr. Ayesha Shaukat were present on the occasion.