Z A BHUTTO’s anniversary: Subdued anniversary celebrations today to focus on fighting militancy, Pledges that Nation and Bhutto legacy will live on

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Today on the eve of the 87^th birth anniversary of the founder of the Pakistan People’s Party Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto let us vow to eradicate the greatest existential threat to the country namely extremism and militancy so that the nation and Bhutto’s legacy lives. 

This was stated by Co-Chair PPP Asif Ali Zardari in a message on January 5 the birth anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto “the Sword of Ali”. 

It is reassuring that on the eve of his 87^thbirth anniversary the nation has unsheathed its swords against these sworn enemies of the state to exterminate them from our midst, he said. 

“The flower of humanity can blossom only in an environment of tolerance and freedom. We must therefore banish from our midst intolerance; we will”. 

Mr. Asif Ali Zardari said that the extremists and terrorist groups rose in the wake of the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Quaid e Awam and his judicial execution two years later. 

The joining of hands by the dictator’s clique and religious fanatics altered the nation’s course, he said adding that today the state was reeling from the consequences of a brutal dictatorship and trained religious extremists joining hands to fight wars across national borders. 

It is a measure o f the patriotism of the political leadership of the country to have buried their differences in taking some most difficult and unpopular decisions to fight the monster created and nurtured by dictatorship, and not by them.

Now the challenge is to keep a watch on the implementation of our collective decision for rooting out militants so that it is not misused. 

We must also be resolute in eliminating not only militants directly threatening our state and society but also those using our soil to launch so called jehad in other countries, the former President said. 

Paying tributes he said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to liberate people from backwardness, illiteracy and poverty. He set out to build a modern state by giving a federal, democratic, egalitarian and unanimous Constitution rooted in the teachings of Islam. Petty cowards and dictators feared Quaid-e-Awam in life as well as from his grave, he said. 

Let us renew our pledge to continue our fight against the militants and extremists and not permit them to foist their obscurantist agenda through force, he said. 

The anniversary celebrations of Quaide Awam this year comes at a time of national mourning in the wake of assassination of over 140 innocent school children and their teachers in a senseless mayhem in Peshawar, he said. 

The Party therefore observes the occasion today with simplicity and prayers for the martyrs of Peshawar tragedy and all those martyred in fighting militancy. “On this anniversary of our founder Chairman the Party reiterates its pledge to do whatever it takes to ensure that the nation and his legacy will live on in an environ of peace and security”.