PPP-Parliamentarians on Thursday unveiled its 7-point election manifesto that calls for special focus on fulfilling basic needs of the downtrodden and creation of a new province in southern Punjab.

The manifesto pledges that after ascendency to power once again the party would increase minimum wage to 18,000 rupees per month by 2018 and enhance monthly cash grant under Benazir Income Support Programme from 1,000 to 2,000 rupees.The document was released at a joint press conference by the party President Makhdoom Amin Fahim, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Defence Minister Naveed Qamar and Information State Minister Sumsam Bukhari here at party's central secretariat.

It says that the PPPP government would legislate to give labour representatives 4 seats in the national assembly and 2 seats in each provincial assembly. There will be renewed focus on housing and the poor will be given priority for low cost housing schemes to be launched through public-private partnership.

The party proposes to launch a youth employment initiative called 'Peoples Employment Programme'. Special Economic Zones would be established to promote industrialisation and create job opportunities. The manifesto also pledges addition of 12,000MW of cheaper electricity by way of hydel, coal, gas and renewable energy by the end of next term of the government. Farmers will be supported by charging flat rate for electricity for tube wells and providing cheaper agricultural inputs.

Under the new NFC Award, Sindh will get special grant for Karachi, its being a mega port city and economic hub of the country. National Commission on Minorities will be given statutory status and religious properties would be given protection. “The PPPP will commit more than 4.5 per cent of GDP on education by the end of our next term. Curriculum reform will be pursued proactively in order to purge textbooks of hate speech.”

As per constitutional requirements, the manifesto promises universal primary enrolment by 2018 and 10,000 higher education and technical vocation scholarships for Fata and Balochistan.A mother and child-care programme would be launched to ensure healthcare for them through vouchers and cash transfers. The manifesto commits to eradicate polio by 2018 and taking its coverage to 100 percent. Enhanced security cover would be provided to health workers.

“We will seek to bridge the gap between private and public schooling by building a National Education Standards Council... We will give labour greater share in public enterprise through Benazir Stock Option Scheme.”The nation, it said, faced a grave crisis five years ago when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by ‘enemies of Pakistan and democracy’. It said that after five years, the PPP have laid foundations for a ‘sustainable, accountable and robust democracy’ in Pakistan.

The PPPP manifesto stated that during “our term we preserved and strengthened the federation by building a new social contract between the provinces and the centre."“In our manifesto we propose seven core priorities that will protect and empower the people of Pakistan, and we will initiate key programmes in first 100 days at the federal and provincial levels to implement these core priorities.

Ensuring basic needs of the economically and socially disadvantaged is a crucial foundation for building a strong democratic Pakistan, and a core priority for the PPPP. We have always targeted food security, shelter, health care, education, jobs, labour protections and equal opportunity for all.”