BA adopts resolution declaring April 4 public holiday

The Balochistan Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution, demanding the provincial government to declare April 4 a public holiday.

On April 4, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) was martyred, Mir Zahoor Buledi, a PPP member said while speaking on the feasibility of the resolution.

The house paid rich tributes to ZAB and demanded of the government to declare April 4 public holiday.

Balochistan Assembly Deputy speaker Ghazala Gola put the resolution for voting. Subsequently, the house unanimously adopted the resolution. “That was a judicial and political murder,” Mir Sadiq Umrani, a senior party leader said.

He said ZAB sacrificed his life to uphold the banner of democracy and Constitution in the country. Supreme Court has already declared the then judgment as unfair and against the law, Umrani said.

Last month, the apex court had declared that former prime minister ZAB was not given a fair trial in a murder case, leading to his hanging 44 years ago.

The top court’s unanimous ruling wrapped up a years-long hearing on the reference filed by Asif Ali Zardari, who as the country’s president in 2011 asked the court’s ‘opinion’ on whether ‘due process and fair trial were complied with in Bhutto’s murder trial.

Speaking on the feasibility of the resolution, Buledi said people of Balochistan were given special attention by PPP and its founder.

“We value the sacrifices made by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,” he stated.

Meena Majeed, another PPP lawmaker paid rich tribute to ZAB. She said the party and its founder were friends of Balochistan.

Deliberating on the resolution, Bakht Kakar, another PPP lawmaker demanded of the government to declare April 4 as a public holiday in recognition of the sacrifices rendered by ZAB.

Meena, also paid a rich tribute to security forces battling against terrorists in Gwadar and Turbat areas of Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2024.