RAWALPINDI: Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto said here today [May 16] that the darkest period since his Government assumed office three and a half years ago was now over, and with the beginning of the second phase of its commitments to the people, his Government was determined to cope with ... (1) law and order, (2) crime and corruption, and (3) inflation which will bring an effective change in ... social and economic life.

Addressing a Press conference at Prime Minister`s House ... Mr Bhutto said he was conscious that his party could not keep to all its commitments which it had made before the elections because of new and unexpected factors... . Mr Bhutto ... said that certain important decisions had been taken to shake the law and order system, to tackle crime and corruption with a heavy hand, and to discipline the country`s economy. ... The [PM] expressed his determination to root out corruption not merely from bureaucracy and police, but from entire public life. In this process, he would not mind if a provincial Government, or even the national Government fell, because ... his commitments were to the people. Islamabad Bureau