Legacy remembered: Nusrat Bhutto’s first death anniversary

She saw her husband, sons and daughter become martyrs for their country and still carried on.

SUKKUR: Many leaders and workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party paid their respects to Begum Nusrat Bhutto on her first death anniversary by gathering at Garhi Khuda Bukhsh on Tuesday.

“Begum Nusrat, the mother of democracy, though a fragile woman, refused to accept the terms of General Ziaul Haq’s dictatorship,” said the Sindh chief minister, Qaim Ali Shah. He added that she served as the party chairperson during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s imprisonment in Kot Lakhpat jail in 1977 and fought off attempts made by other party leaders who tried to take advantage of the leadership vacuum.

Shah was accompanied by Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro and the Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani to her grave where they offered prayers. The party workers also organised a Quran Khawani.

“She saved the party and its workers from the atrocities of the Zia regime and saw her husband, sons and daughter become martyrs for the sake of the country and democracy.” Shah directed party workers to put up portraits of Begum Nusrat across Garhi Khuda Bukhsh to make people aware of her sacrifices and struggles.

Those who attended the ceremony included Sanam Bhutto, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Ashfaq Mangi, ministers Abdul Haseeb and Nisar Panhwar and the Sindh minister for women rights, Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto.

Shah lamented that the nationalists have been against the party since 1970 and opposed their leadership since day one. “They made allegations against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and now against President Asif Ali Zardari.” He added that the nationalists were once against the leadership of Punjab but have now changed their stance. “They have resorted to such behavior because they are now on the payroll of the Punjab leadership.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2012.