ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Monday paid rich tribute to Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) former chairperson the late Begum Nusrat Bhutto and her services for the cause of democracy and her struggle against dictatorship.
Bhutto, the former first lady, passed away in Dubai on October 23, after a long illness.
The agenda for the first day of the 36th session of the National Assembly was suspended when Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar suggested a prayer be offered for the departed soul of Begum Nusrat and for the order of the day to be suspended.
The move was not contested by representatives of any political party present in the house. Strangely enough, Qamar did not participate and left the house.
Former minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi administered the prayer, which was followed by brief speeches made by lawmakers.
Begum Bhutto was remembered as “an icon of democracy, champion of rights for the oppressed and downtrodden people and empowerment of women.”
Members from all political parties expressed their condolences and paid rich tributes. Almost every member who spoke mentioned Bhutto’s struggle for democracy, particularly her role during the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD).
Those who participated in the debate and paid tribute to Begum Bhutto included Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Nawab Yousaf Talpur, Raja Parvez Asharaf, Farah Naz Isphani, Fouzia Wahab and Afzal Sindhu from the PPP, Sheikh Aftab from PML-N, Parvez Khan Advocate from ANP and Abdul Qadir Khanzada from MQM.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2011.
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Look at the pictures of Begum Bhutto, Miss Fatima Jinnah and Mrs. Liaquat Ali Khan and look at the fanaticism of today! All these women could not even live in freedom in the days of Taliban and their terrorist allies in Pakistan.