President Asif Ali Zardari has emphasized the need for a holistic approach and prudent financial policies to steer Pakistan towards development. Speaking at the Professor Waris Mir Memorial Seminar on Tuesday, he highlighted the importance of modernizing various sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture. In line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions, the government plans to tax agricultural income, with provincial governments leading the initiative to tax large landholding farmers based on their profitability and expenditures.
Addressing a gathering of journalists, academicians, political workers, and members of civil society, President Zardari underscored the power of the media in amplifying the people’s voices. He noted that recent years have seen media fragmentation and cautioned against the influence of a strong religious lobby manipulating perceptions to create divisions in Muslim societies. Reaffirming his support for press freedom, he reflected on his own experience of tolerating harsh media criticism and warned against agenda-driven information. He emphasized the need for resilience in the face of challenges.
President Zardari paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto’s political struggle and sacrifices for democracy, highlighting the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) history of enduring pressures and assassinations while continuing its democratic mission. “Assassination attempts and political pressures could not deter us from our mission as we firmly believe that life and death are in Allah’s hands,” he said.
He also honored the contributions of the late Professor Waris Mir to democracy and journalism, commending Faisal Mir and Hamid Mir for upholding their father’s legacy.
Senior Journalist Hamid Mir, in his remarks, called for an end to political victimization and the upholding of the 1973 Constitution. Senior Journalist Sohail Warraich paid tribute to Waris Mir’s contributions to journalism and democracy, praising President Zardari’s political wisdom and reconciliatory role. Warraich noted that the country urgently needs political reconciliation and expressed confidence in the president’s ability to address Pakistan’s political and economic challenges.
