The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) commemorated the 43rd death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on Monday across the province.
The party had decided to forego the main public gathering due to Ramazan and to hold commemorative meetings in every district, city and town.
A large number of the PPP's workers and supporters as well as the admirers of Bhutto visited the resting place of Pakistan's former prime minister and PPP's founding leader in Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto, Larkana. The workers and local leaders of the PPP also organized events in all the districts, lighting candles in front of portraits of Bhutto and giving speeches in his praise.
His daughter and former PM of Pakistan and PPP's chairperson Benazir Bhutto and wife Nusrat Bhutto and two sons, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto, are also buried in the same mausoleum. "When Bhutto embarked on a political tour of Sindh after quitting Gen Ayub Khan's government, no political figure appeared willing to welcome him," senior lawyer and a former student leader Yousuf Laghari recalled while addressing a commemorative event at Hyderabad press club.
He said late comrade Jami Saqi and he himself then invited Bhutto to hold a public meeting in Hyderabad. "We had told Bhutto that we don't belong to a feudal family and that we were ordinary working class people."
He recalled that Bhutto had then attracted tens of thousands of people in his public meetings in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. "Replying to one of my questions in an interview, Bhutto had said that not only he but his whole family is committed to struggle and offer sacrifices to help the people get their rights by entrenching democracy in the country," said senior journalist Ghulam Nabi Mughal, while speaking at the press club event.
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In a statement, PPP's central leader Moula Bux Chandio said Bhutto used to say that he would like to be killed at the hands of a dictator rather than dying in the annals of history. "He sacrificed his life for the sovereignty of the country and supremacy of the parliament."
Chandio said Bhutto confronted the dictators of his time and even today all dictators feared his name. Commenting on the prevailing political situation, he said the puppet prime minister Imran Khan could not confront Bhutto's Constitution and that he is trying to find a refuge by escaping the process which is set down in the constitution for removal of a PM through the vote of no confidence.
'Dictators dragged country into crises'
Sindh Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro has said that the dictatorial mindset selected rulers have dragged the country into political and constitutional crises by violating the constitution and law of the country. He said that political thinking and principles of democracy, described by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, should be followed by the politicians today.
Addressing a gathering on the 43rd death anniversary of PPP founder of PPP at his native village Karan Khan Shoro, the minister said that Shaheed Bhutto awakened democratic and political consciousness in people and rendered sacrifices for the rule of law and stability of democracy in the country. The provincial minister said, "Former prime minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave us the constitution of 1973 and strengthened national defence system, and so the need of the hour today is that we all should come forward for the supremacy of Parliament, observance of the Constitution and law of the country by following the democratic principles laid down by the PPP founder."
PPP member of the Provincial Assembly, Abdul Jabbar Khan, party leaders and activists were also present at the Fateha Khwani, held for the PPP founder.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2022.
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