Bhutto’s 32nd death anniversary today

The 32nd death anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto observed across the country today (Monday).

The main ceremony in connection with Bhutto’s death anniversary will be held in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, where thousands of PPP workers and leaders have started gathering. Every street of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh has been decorated with PPP flags and banners inscribed with slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ and ‘Zinda Hai BB Zinda Hai’.

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has directed the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure foolproof security in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh during Bhutto’s death anniversary. The Sindh government has announced a public holiday today.

President Asif Ali Zardari, accompanied by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Sunday visited the ancestral graveyard of the Bhutto family. He offered fateha and laid wreaths at the graves of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto.

“Bhutto is the symbol of courage, he struggled for the democracy in Pakistan and sacrificed his life for the same cause,” Senate chairman Farooq H Naek said after reaching Garhi Khuda Bux.

A Sindh government official said about 6,000 policemen had been deployed for vigilance, and more than 500 Rangers personnel would perform their duties. The official said scanners had been installed at the entry point and visitors were being frisked if required. “Around 40 acres of land has been allocated for parking of 10,000 vehicles about four to six km away from the public gathering,” he added.

The daylong ceremonies in Garhi Khuda Bux will start with Quran Khawani at the mausoleum of the PPP founder today morning. In Islamabad, a ceremony will be held at the PPP Central Secretariat to observe the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The ceremony will start with Quran Khawani and prominent PPP leaders will highlight achievements and services of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in their speeches.

All arrangements have been completed to observe the death anniversary of the PPP founder at Jinnah Park Rawalpindi (Old jail, where Bhutto was hanged) today at 10am. The local leadership will attend the ceremony and highlight services of Bhutto.

Various programmes including seminars and workers convention will be organised in different parts of the country to pay tribute to the PPP founder. Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television have also made arrangements for special transmission. The special transmission will highlight life, struggle, services and revolutionary achievements of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The Directorate of Film and Publication (DFP) of Press Information Department (PID) has prepared volumes of speeches of President Asif Ali Zardari in English, Sindhi and Urdu languages for distribution on the occasion of death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Naudero.

A three-member delegation of the MQM will also visit Garhi Khuda Bux on the death anniversary of the PPP founder.

Separately, talking to reporters at Sukkur Airport, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the Bhutto legacy was an asset of the PPP. She said the government needed the support and cooperation of all political parties on all national issues.

The minister said Bhuttoism was not confined to any single political party because the PPP founder taught the art of politicking to political parties, which were now carrying forward his philosophy.

Talking to reporters in Naudero, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said his party was working for welfare of the poor. He assured PPP workers that their problems would soon be resolved. Malik said politics of PPP was the provision of basic needs to the people, adding coming days would be dedicated to the party workers.

He said the investigation report on Benazir’s murder had been prepared and its details would be disclosed at the meeting of Central Executive Council (CEC). Paying rich tribute to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, Rehman Malik pledged to do everything to achieve the mission of the PPP leadership.

Talking to the media in Larkana, PPP Secretary Information Qamar Zaman Kaira said the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a ‘historic crime’ and nobody in the country had accepted the verdict of the case as a correct decision.

He said filing a reference in the Supreme Court was necessary to remove stigma from the judicial history as everyone considered the execution a ‘judicial murder’. “Bhutto was not only the leader of Pakistan and Islamic Ummah, but also of the entire third world,” he added.