Death anniversary: Workers, leaders pay homage to ZA Bhutto

RAWALPINDI:

The Pakistan People’s Party Rawalpindi chapter marked the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by paying homage to his services and sacrifices for democracy.

The party workers and local leaders also held Quran khawani and offered special prayer for eternal peace of their leader’s soul.

Party workers from Attock, Chakwal, Jehlum and other parts of Rawalpindi district converged at Jinnah Park where Bhutto was executed on April 4, 1979.

They placed flowers on the site and observed one minute of silence.

Party workers, holding party flags, banners, placards and portraits of Zulfikar and Benazir Bhutto, also chanted slogans such as “Zinda hai Bhutto Zinda hai,” (Bhutto lives on) and “Democracy is the best revenge”.

Local leaders reminded the people of Bhutto’s services for the country and the people.

“The credit for making the country an atomic power goes to Bhutto. He laid foundation of the atomic technology,” said Shah Khalid, a local PPP worker.

PPP District President Amir Fida Paracha said Bhuttos are alive in the hearts of the people. He said that no one remembers or cares for the dictators whose hands were stained with the blood of the father and daughter.

“Dictators destroy institutions and never care about the country’s future,” he said, adding that they always cared for their personal interests. He said Bhutto was the father of the constitution and also worked to strengthen institutions.

Sultan Mehmood Qazi, a local leader, said that the Bhutto established close relations with Muslim and European countries and sent thousands of Pakistanis to work there.

“Remittances expatriates have been sending are a lifeline for the country’s economy,” he said.

He said that despite torture, suppression and execution of its leadership, the dictators failed to eliminate the PPP, which has been working for the development of the country and the downtrodden.

Later, PPP leaders and activists visited the Benazir Memorial at Liaquat Bagh and offered prayers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2015.