Benazir commemorated: 13th death anniversary in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh

LARKANA/KARACHI:

Caravans of people made their way to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Larkana on Sunday to join the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP's) public meeting held to commemorate former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her 13th death anniversary.

Besides, PPP leaders and workers, the rally was joined by Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM's) leadership, excluding Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The co-chairperson of the PPP and late Benazir's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, too addressed the rally, via a video link due to ill health.

With most of the opposition leadership gathered at the venue, the occasion also provided another opportunity to the PDM - an 11-party opposition alliance - to flex its muscle, as speakers renewed the pledge to make Pakistan stronger and viable in all aspects.

Earlier, a Quran Khwani was held at Benazir's mausoleum and PPP leaders, among others, laid floral wreaths and offered fateha at her grave. They also visited the grave of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Before the main event, PPP leaders, including the party's chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, addressed a gathering outside the mausoleum.

The main event commenced with a mushaira, where prominent poets from across the country recited poems paying homage to Benazir.

A two-minute silence was observed in the remembrance of the late PPP leader at 5.20pm, followed by collective prayers for the departed soul.

The Peoples Doctors Forum's Larkana district wing, the district health department and Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana set up a free medical camp at the venue to provide medical assistance if needed. Ambulances and fire tenders were also deployed at the spot to deal with any emergencies. Besides, a first aid camp was established at the venue.

To monitor the security arrangements for the rally, the Sindh Additional IGP set up a base camp in Naudero, while Rangers and police personnel patrolled the area surrounding the venue. Over 8,000 police personnel and 300 Rangers personnel were deployed at Benazir's mausoleum and on roads leading to it.

The police also set pickets along the roads leading to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to guide the caravans joining the rally and for security purposes.

'Where are the Bhuttos?'

Meanwhile, leaders from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lambasted the PPP and other opposition parties that joined the rally for launching an "anti-Pakistan movement."

Addressing a press conference on the day, PTI parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh dubbed the PPP's public meeting in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh "a flop show."

"Besides, it [the rally] sealed the fate of the dynastic politics in the Bhutto family, as no one from among the Bhuttos was seen on the stage," remarked the PTI leader, adding that "there were only remnants of [late General] Zia's [legacy]."

He said Bilawal was answerable to the people of Sindh on what measures were taken during 13 years of the party's rule in the province to arrest the killers of Benazir Bhutto.

"People should be told where the killers are," said Sheikh, adding that "if they [PPP leaders] had any moral courage, they would have shared the actual will of Benazir with the participants of the rally."

Further directing criticism towards the PPP-led Sindh government, Sheikh said stray dogs continue to bite children here, but the government had no money to buy the anti-rabies vaccine.

Thousands of children have died in Thar due to hunger and diseases, but Bialwal failed to address these issues in his speech at the rally, critiquing the PTI leader.

"On one hand, people continue to die of Covid-19 [in Sindh], and on the other, the province's chief minister is busy in putting up a drama," he added. "We request him to end this farce."

He alleged that internal differences had started surfacing within the PPP.

Also speaking on the occasion, PTI MPA Saeed Afridi said the PDM had turned into an "anti-Pakistan movement."

Deepening political strife

Reacting to Sheikh's remarks, Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah issued a statement, where he termed the PTI leaders "incompetent."

He added that the PTI has started hue and cry after the PDM rally.

The provincial minister said there were differences within the PTI due to the party's anti-people policies.

"They will always remain so [incompetent]," the provincial minister said, further clarifying that there were no differences between the PPP and JUI-F's Fazl.

Reports of a rift between the two had surfaced after Fazl, also the PDM president, excused from attending the rally.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who belongs to the PTI, commemorated late Benazir in a tweet.

Posting on Twitter in Urdu, Ismail stated: "Benazir Bhutto was a good political leader. Her entire struggle was against the vestiges of a dictator, Nawaz Sharif. He opposed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N's) corruption and anti-state policies."

He went on to criticise the PML-N, saying, these same people used to refer to a dictator as their political leader.

"These same people supported Bhutto's hanging," he added.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2020.