Addressing the launch of a revolutionary Health Insurance Scheme initiated under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Gilani said the "fortune-tellers" had been predicting the fall of the government since day one, but time had proved them wrong repeatedly as the Pakistan Peoples Party believed and pursued the policy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Gilani regretted that none of the governments were allowed in the past to complete their terms that aborted all their attempts to serve the masses.
He mentioned the Elected Bodies Disqualification Order by Field Marshall Ayub Khan that sounded the death knell to the civilian government system in the country.
He said it was Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who gave the country a constitution that had kept the country intact and later made Pakistan a nuclear power.
Gilani said it was an honour for him as brother of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to have restored the 1973 Constitution, but regretted that he was now being asked to provide a list of visitors to the Prime Minister House and his son Musa Gilani had been indicted.
Prime Minister Gilani stressed continuity of the system so that the mass welfare programs initiated by the government achieve the objective of reaching to the poorest of the poor segments.
Gilani termed the launch of the Health and Life Insurance schemes "a dream comes true" and recalled his first speech in which he tabled the idea of the Benazir Income Support Program.
He mentioned the international acclaim of the BISP program and said transparency and the wide reach has made it a success story with the international donors.
He said though the idea initially seemed difficult but lauded Ms Farzana Raja for doing wonders.
The Prime Minister admitted that initially the BISP program was launched with a political tilt, with all parties getting share, however after lot of criticism, it was opened up for the poorest of the poor segments.
He said some provinces tried to emulate the program, but since they lacked the will, the commitment and the vision of Shaheed leaders, their programs failed. He said the program now has no political shades and has turned into the largest program to reach out to the marginalised sections of the society.
Gilani said similar programs in the past have fizzled out as there was no continuity and the objectives were never achieved. He said it was important that these programs run for 5 to ten years to ensure their success.
He said a number of new programs have been dovetailed with the BISP to enhance its reach and mentioned that three million students would be added to the programs fold soon.
The Prime Minister said the income support and generation programs would help the needy families stand up on their feet.
Gilani also mentioned the 2.5 million Internally Displaced Persons of Malakand that were repatriated to their homes in a record time and were paid compensation through a transparent system.
Chairperson BISP Farzana Raja said the program reflected the vision of the PPP government towards achieving a true welfare state. She recalled the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to cover all deserving people, across the political divide.
She said it was the success of the program that 1.5 million women have acquired new national identity cards and would play an active role in national development.
Raja urged the people to donate zakat generously to the BISP so that the programs reach and scope is expanded and coverage increased, while ensuring transparency.
She said under the poverty survey the BISP has been able to gather data of almost the entire population that could help future programs. She said the BISP's success was because it treated all its beneficiaries as its family.
Earlier the prime minister launched the health and life insurance schemes. He also handed over health cards to the beneficiaries.
Chairman State Life Shahid Aziz said under the program six million people would be insured and would have a health cover of Rs 25,000 annually, available through a number of designated hospitals.
He termed it Pakistan's largest micro insurance scheme that would cover entire country by next year.
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012