LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has said Pakistan is a strong state whose defence is in strong hands.

Speaking in a meeting with Barrister Aamir Hassan, a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Central Election Cell, and others at the Governor House here on Monday, the president said that the party has always been committed to the integrity and defence of the country.

The president is on a visit to Punjab these days and holding meetings with the PPP leaders and workers.

He reiterated that the party founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the nuclear programme to the country, while Benazir Bhutto Shaheed gave it missile technology. He said that the 2013 PPP government further strengthened the Pakistan Air Force and “even today we are strengthening Pakistan’s defence.”

The president further said that the dream of Akhand Bharat of those following Hindutva ideology would never come true.

“We raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ [we want Pakistan] 18 years ago at the time of Bibi’s [Benazir Bhutto’s] martyrdom. At that time, India tried to divide Sindh to weaken Pakistan, so even then I raised the slogan of Pakistan and said that Sindh is Pakistan and Pakistan is Sindh and all units of Pakistan are united.”

The president said that the PPP wants to work for political stability in the country and that is why the party is working together with the Pakistan Muslim League-N in Punjab to provide relief to the people of Punjab and Pakistan by strengthening the political system, democracy, [through] dialogue and harmony between political forces.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2025