#Pakistan - Who controls the exit list

By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed / Shehryar Warraich

The inclusion of 172 names has exposed the many anomalies in the ECL law and procedure which is considered biased, discriminatory and violation of the constitutional and human rights of Pakistani citizens.

The recent inclusion of 172 names in the Exit Control List (ECL) on the insistence of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) looking into some fake accounts cases has generated intense heat and led to criticism from different quarters. This was done in one go and reportedly without stating sufficient reason for every individual in the list.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) took notice and asked the federal government to review this decision, terming it akin to overstepping the legal ambit. He questioned the federal government as to how the name of the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who was heading the second biggest province of the country, could be put on the same list. Besides, the inclusion of these names just on the basis of a report was also questioned.

The said action by the court has, in fact, given a stimulus to an already initiated debate on how to check the discretionary powers of the federal government or the interior ministry to put people’s name on the ECL. The law still followed in this respect is The Exit From Pakistan (Control) Ordinance 1981, promulgated by General Ziaul Haq around 38 years ago.

The law is termed oppressive, that is why the sitting Senate Committee on Interior has suggested some amendments in it so that it cannot be used to target political and other opponents.

Though the 1981 Ordinance has remained intact so far, some procedural changes in rules were made in the past. For example, during the term of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the interior minister was allowed to put names of terrorists, members of proscribed organisations and those requested by security organisations, on the ECL. Later on, the minister changed the policy and established a committee under the interior ministry to decide whether a person’s name should be placed on ECL or not.

However, during the term of his successor Ahsan Iqbal, a new procedure was adopted according to which the federal cabinet undertook up the task of putting names on the ECL. It is assumed it was also in the light of an SCP order in 2016 that the outgoing PML-N government had abolished the committee of the interior ministry and withdrawn its powers.

Despite such attempts, it is still believed by many that the procedure followed to put people’s names on the ECL is biased, discriminatory, without any judicial oversight and is violative of the constitutional and human rights of citizens.

Former Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat calls these steps cosmetic and says the democratic forces should have brought foundational changes in the ECL structure. “Primarily, the 1981 ordinance was promulgated with a declared purpose to counter criminals and anti-state elements. However, General Ziaul Haq used it to smear politicians.”

“If, while making an order under sub-section (1) it appears to the Federal Government that it will not be in the public interest to specify the ground on which the order is proposed to be made, it shall not be necessary for the Federal Government to specify such grounds.”

“Unfortunately, the same method was adopted by successive governments, though they introduced some changes in the procedures,” he adds.

Hayat sees inclusion of 172 names in ECL on somebody’s whims. “The government has violated the fundamental rights of the citizens by curtailing their right of mobility just on the basis of suspicion.”

Under the 1981 Ordinance, under Article 2, sub-section 3 of this law, it is not necessary for the federal government to share the reason(s) why it is putting a person’s name on the ECL. The said clause states: “If, while making an order under sub-section (1) it appears to the Federal Government that it will not be in the public interest to specify the ground on which the order is proposed to be made, it shall not be necessary for the Federal Government to specify such grounds.”

The Senate Committee on Interior has recommended doing away with this clause and making it compulsory to give reason why a name has been put on the ECL. Its other recommendations include informing the affected individuals within 24 hours about their names being put on the ECL, giving them the right to file a review of the decision within 15 days, and if there is no decision on the review in this time, the names should be removed immediately from the list.

Former Secretary Supreme Court Bar Aftab Bajwa, however, is in favour of the 1981 Ordinance, but wants to make an addition. He thinks that apart from Interior Ministry, security agencies, district heads of civil administration and law enforcing agencies, “judges [of high courts] should have this authority to put anybody’s name on the ECL if they have solid reasons to do so”.

He is of the view that putting 172 people on the ECL by the federal cabinet is as per the law of the land. That is why, he says, “even the honourable CJP does not have the right to revoke such a decision unless a bench of at least three judges hears the case and asks to remove the names from the ECL”. For this very reason, Bajwa says, the CJP referred the case to the federal cabinet for review.

Bajwa shares that “different countries have laws on not permitting any person to go abroad for reasons like involvement in corruption, misuse of power, causing loss to government’s funds or property; economic crimes, acts of terrorism or involvement in conspiracies in these areas, heinous crimes, a threat to national security and so on”. Besides, probationers and parolees are prohibited from leaving without the permission of concerned officers

In India, there have been incidents where courts have asked the accused to submit passports at the time of bail. In the UK, the passport office takes such a step if there is a court order to do so.

Advocate Sardar Asif Ali Sial says no doubt states have such laws and there is nothing wrong with these if they follow certain principles like those mentioned in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). “The ICCPR,” he says, “permits states to place restrictions on people’s right to leave provided these are lawful, imposed with the objective to maintain public order and meant to protect public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others.

“It has also been made clear that such restrictions must be imposed according to a precise criteria and those charged with their execution must not have any discretionary powers. This is what’s exactly needed in our country.”

PERSPECTIVES - Why I defended Asia Bibi in #Pakistan

By Saiful Malook

Asia Bibi spent Christmas in a safe house in Islamabad, Pakistan. I hope that’s the last time my client, a Catholic, must spend the holiday unable to live and worship in freedom.

Two months ago, a three- justice panel of the Pakistani Supreme Court overturned her 2010 conviction and death sentence for blaspheming.

Protests by religious hardliners over the possibility that she would be allowed to leave Pakistan prompted the government to bar her, at least temporarily, from departing.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government appears determined to ensure the safety of Asia and her husband, Ashiq Masih, and the couple’s two daughters, until another country agrees to take them in. Canada is their most likely destination. Asia was still in prison, not in the courtroom, when the decision was handed down on October 31. Enraged protesters poured into the streets in several Pakistani cities.

Police escorted me from the courthouse, and I spent three days in hiding, aided by friends in the diplomatic community, before I boarded a flight for the Netherlands still wearing my Pakistani lawyer’s uniform of a black suit and white shirt.

I had insisted I wouldn’t leave without Asia, but my friends swore they would take good care of her. It was my life they feared for at that moment.

My last meeting with Asia had taken place on October 10 at the women’s prison in Multan, about 400 kilometres from my home in the eastern city of Lahore, where she had been incarcerated for the past five years.

Protests by religious hardliners over the possibility that she would be allowed to leave Pakistan prompted the government to bar her, at least temporarily, from departing.

Death row

Contrary to reports of her terrible treatment in prison, Asia seemed to have found a quiet life of sisterhood with her guards, who allowed her a television set and more time outside her cell than usually granted to death-row inmates.

The relatively benign treatment might have resulted from pressure by Western governments, but I sensed it was because the guards recognised Asia’s bravery and human spirit.

Asia is not a sophisticated person. She was born 47 years ago to a poor family in a dusty farming village in the Punjab province and never sat in a classroom for a single day of her life.

But she was helped by her strong religious faith when she ran afoul of blasphemy laws often exploited by religious extremists and ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores.

She was working on a berry farm in June 2009 with several Muslim women when a dispute broke out because Asia had filled a jug of water for her co- workers.

The women refused to drink water from a utensil touched by a choorhi, a derogatory word for a Christian. Apparently incensed that a lowly Christian woman had argued with them, two of the women who later appeared as witnesses in the case said Asia had insulted the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Quran.

Local clerics began denouncing her. An enraged mob beat her and dragged her to a police station, saying she had confessed to blasphemy.

Asia was sentenced to death by a district court in 2010. She had legal representation in name only, because competent lawyers often fear to take on blasphemy cases.

At least 70 people, including defendants, lawyers and judges, have been killed by vigilantes or lynch mobs since blasphemy laws were strengthened in the 1980s under the military dictator Gen. Mohammed Zia ul-Haq.

Judges bullied

A lawyers group that offers free legal advice to complainants is known to pack courtrooms with clerics and raucous supporters who try to bully judges into handing out convictions.

In 2011, Salman Taseer, the prominent governor of Punjab and a critic of the blasphemy laws who had visited Asia in prison and promised to lobby for her pardon, was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards.

A few months later, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian and a Cabinet minister for minorities who had also spoken up for Asia, was murdered. I took on Asia’s case in 2014.

I’m a lawyer, and I do not want to see anyone falsely convicted of a crime, much less hanged for it.

The Supreme Court granted a petition to appeal her case, and in 2015 the death sentence was suspended. In October, I was notified that the final appeal would be heard. The justices’ ruling for Asia, citing insufficient evidence, took great courage.

I think I will have to stay away from Pakistan for at least two years before it will be safe to return. Until then, I will live with friends in the Netherlands or with my daughter in Britain. But I yearn to return home to continue defending victims of the blasphemy laws.

Asia had rarely ventured far from her village before being imprisoned, so beginning a new life in another country would be a challenge for her.

But she has shown remarkable strength throughout this ordeal, and I am confident that she will succeed.

#Pakistan - Benazir entrusted me with the nation's responsibility: Zardari

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari claimed on Sunday that Benazir Bhutto entrusted him with the responsibility of the nation and that former prime minister’s government was ‘taken away’ from her.

Addressing the media in Badin, he said that PPP supporters voted them into the power because they trusted them. He further reassured the workers that PPP’s war against the government shall continue. Zardari further commented that PPP always accounts for low socio-economic groups first. “We aren’t scared no matter how many cases are hashed against us,” the PPP stalwart said.

Addressing the rally, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah promised the nation to continue serving. “The conspiracies hatched by the government against the PPP shall fail,” he said.

On January 5, party co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reiterated that the July 25 general elections were rigged. He said that “who will hold accountable the manipulators who have stolen the votes of people”.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1882648/1-benazir-entrusted-nations-responsibility-zardari/

#Pakistan - 'Fake accounts JIT being used as a tool for political victimisation': Zardari replies to probe report in SC

 Haseeb Bhatti

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday denied all the claims made about the Zardari Group in a joint investigation team (JIT) report submitted to the Supreme Court in an ongoing case pertaining to alleged money laundering of billions of rupees through fake bank accounts.

The apex court last year took suo motu notice of a delay into a 2015 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probe into the fake bank accounts. Several bigwigs, including Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, former president of Summit Bank Hussain Lawai and Omni Group's Anwar Majeed, have been nominated in the case. Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have also been included in the probe.

The fresh JIT probing the matter told the SC earlier that a close nexus had been found between a troika of the Zardari Group, Omni Group and Bahria Town. The JIT report revealed that at least 29 bank accounts identified as fake had been used for money laundering of Rs42 billion.

The two groups, the JIT alleged in its fresh report, had amassed assets through misappropriation of loans, government funds, kickbacks and proceeds of crime.

The top court subsequently ordered the Zardari Group, Omni Group, Bahria Town, Faryal Talpur and others, including contractors/builders, to file their comments on the JIT report.

In a 17-page-long written reply submitted in the SC today, former president Zardari said that he had not done anything wrong.

"The statements recorded by witnesses and the documents [accompanying them] were not provided to us," the reply stated.

"The JIT is being used as a means for political victimisation," it said, adding that to accuse someone without showing them the evidence is against Article 10A of the Constitution (Right to a fair trial).In his reply, the PPP co-chairman requested the court to dismiss the JIT's reports, contending that the leaking of the second JIT report prior to its submission in court is against the sanctity of the court.The reply also argued that the JIT is being used as an instrument by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government to humiliate Zardari and Talpur.According to the reply, the JIT does not have the right to suggest that the matter should be sent to the National Accountability Bureau, and if the court orders the move upon the JIT's suggestion, it will also be against Article 10A.

The JIT report

In the fresh report, the JIT contended that prima facie evidence brought to the record during investigations clearly indicated that the Zardari and Omni groups, which started with a paid-up capital of Rs600 in 1981 and Rs6,000 in 2001, respectively, had amassed assets through misappropriation of loans, government funds, kickbacks and proceeds of crime.The evidence suggested, it said, that the groups had a history of laundering their illegal proceeds abroad through illegal channels of Hundi and Hawala.The report highlighted that the International Business and Shopping Centre (IBSC) project identified by the JIT to be a “Benami” of Asif Zardari held in the name of his then front man Iqbal Memon (International Builders) was frozen in 1998. Later when Iqbal Memon got exposed and left the country for Canada, the property changed hands in 2000 through AR Developers of Nasir Jamal and ultimately came back in 2008 to be held by Zardari, this time through Park Lane Pvt Ltd.The report requested the apex court to order freezing of the assets of both groups held through different subsidiary and front companies and those held in the name of their directors, pending the final adjudication by the accountability courts, lest the "money laundering cartel" shift its assets abroad.

In its first report, the JIT had mentioned a transfer of Rs357 million from 12 fake accounts into the accounts of Ms Parthenon. It transpired that Ms Parthenon was a front company of M/s Park Lane since it had no independent business of its own when it entered into a joint venture with Park Lane.

Similarly, Plots C5 and 6, Clifton, Karachi, where Bahria Icon Towers has been constructed, were identified and frozen in 1998 as "Benami" of Asif Zardari held in the name of Galaxy Construction owned by his then front man Saleem Akhter. This property again come back to be held by Zardari through Galaxy Construction owned by his present frontman Dr Dinshaw Hoshang Ankleseria.

The JIT had recommended that the apex court should also order the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan not to change the ownership through the change of directors of any of the companies holding the assets in question.

The report also mentioned different assets owned by the Zardari Group like Opal 225 Saddar, Karachi, IBSC Saddar of Park Lane, different farm houses in Tando Allahyar and Nawabshah, a set of some houses in Clifton called Bilawal House, agricultural land, different properties owned by Faryal Talpur, different vehicles of Asif Zardari that belonged to Tosha Khana, including bullet proof vehicles BMW 760, Lexus 570 and Mitsubishi SUV, and assets in foreign countries known to be held by Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur.

Likewise the assets owned by the Omni Group and its directors included 16 sugar mills in different districts of Sindh, 19 power generation companies, agriculture farms, real estate and agriculture land, vehicles and bank accounts, the report said.

#PPP Music - kitne maqbool hain Bhutto - #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷

Documentary - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷

Video Documentary - Z A Bhutto - Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

Video - #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB - Speeches of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 A tribute to “Quaid-e-Awam” Z.A Bhutto

By: Nazia Memon

It’s been 38 years but every year 4th of April tells a different story as Garhi Khuda Bux and Larkana wear a dark chaddar of sorrow to mourn and remember once again their most distinguished leader “Qaid-e-Awam” Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Widely venerated by the mass of ordinary people.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born at Larkana in the province of Sindh on January 5, 1928. On his 51st -birthday he was in the death cell of Rawalpindi gaol, Z.A Bhutto have refused to compromise on his principles even when face to face with the gallows. More than three decades on, millions of Pakistanis still mourn the fate of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Z.A Bhutto, 51, who had been Pakistan’s leader since 1973, was deposed in an army coup in 1977.

In 1977 during his services as a prime minister, General Zia-ul-Haq his political opponent accused him of rigging an election and staged a coup. Later Zia imprisoned Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on charges of murdering another political rival.

He was sentenced to death for the murder of a political opponent following a trial which was widely condemned as unfair.

The appeal process was also tainted by allegations of bias on the part of some judges.

Despite international calls for clemency, the Pakistani authority carried out a barbaric act, no advance warning of the execution had been given.

If I look back in the window of political history of Pakistan and so particularly about the first democratically elected Prime-minister, I have got these following facts about him.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lacked far nothing as a child. His family was rich and influential. His education was rounded off in the United States and Britain: he graduated in political science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1950, and later studied at Christ Church, Oxford. There he was awarded MA honors with distinction in jurisprudence in 1952, and became a barrister at law in Lincoln’s Inn, London. Later Bhutto went to lecture in international law at the University of Southampton – the first Asian to teach there. When he returned to Pakistan, Z.A Bhutto kept his legal work briefly but soon became entangled in politics.

He was a politician who broke away from the gentlemanly cabals of wealthy landowners and bureaucrats who had previously ruled Pakistan between military dictatorships.

Bhutto resigned from the cabinet in June 1966. He was highly critical of the Tashkent agreement between Pakistan President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in the aftermath of 1965 Indo-Pak war.

In 1967, he established Pakistan People’s Party, along with Dr. Mubashir Hassan, J.A. Rahim and Basit Jehangir Sheikh. The party became a part of the pro-democratic movement and denounced Ayub Khan’s regime as a dictatorship, demanding his resignation.

Bhutto brought power to the people, campaigning in a western style. He exchanged his Savile Row suits and silk handkerchiefs for baggy trousers and long shirts.

It was his strong personality clubbed with his aggressive nature and immense determination that made him the country’s greatest civilian leader, with him dominating almost the entire decade of the 70s.

In 1970’s general elections Awami league won a majority of seats in East Pakistan and PPP won a majority of seats in West Pakistan, the two parties were unable to agree on a new constitution in particular on the issue of “Six point movement” which many in West Pakistan saw as a way to break up the country.

Bhutto was handed over the presidency in December 1971 and emergency rule was imposed.

People continue to position SZAB till today as the real villain in a drama where the entire responsibility of the separation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh is laid at his door.

Recognition of Bangladesh was a thorny issue as Pakistan was caught between pressure to recognize against domestic public opinion, which was virulently opposed on the one hand; and the looming threat by Mujeeb ur Rehman to carry out war crimes against the POW’s on the other. Added to this was India’s insistence on making the release of the POWs and Pakistan’s captured territory contingent upon recognizing Bangladesh, and satisfying all her mounting and unreasonable demands. It was a diplomatic tight rope, which called for unprecedented political dexterity. Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto stated in “Bhutto’s vision of Pakistan” that there were those who, forgetting that a Military dictator was at the helm of affairs of the State, unkindly accused Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed of thwarting the rule of the majority and creating the conditions for the breakup of Pakistan.

When Bhutto set about rebuilding Pakistan, he stated his intention was to ‘rebuild confidence and rebuild hope for the future” by July 1972, Bhutto had recovered 93,000 prisoners of war 5,000 square miles of Indian-held territory after signing the Simla Agreement.

Bhutto significantly transformed Pakistan’s hitherto pro-West foreign policy once he has got the power.

Benazir Bhutto has written in “Bhutto’s vision of Pakistan” that Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed moved with amazing alacrity in all directions.

In line with the PPP manifesto, agricultural reforms were brought in and lands distributed amongst the landless peasants. Labor unions were allowed and minimum wage for labor was fixed. Owing to a near economic collapse faced by the country, currency devaluation became necessary. It was a very difficult decision but decision was taken and the currency devalued.

Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed’s politics and diplomacy was based on what he termed as “the total sweep of history”.

He was the architect of bilateralism, which he propounded as the only effective mode of conduct among nations in a bipolar world where the competing interest of the super powers could easily influence and cloud relations between nations. Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed perused a fiercely independent foreign policy, always keeping Pakistan’s national interest foremost in consideration.

He was the protagonist of flexibility in politics and was not tied to any fixed prejudices. “The dogmas, the theories and the script stand outside the gates of history”, Z.A Bhutto once wrote I am guiding you to seek truth from the facts of the historical conditions of our society and to identify the problems. The correct solutions will come with the correct identification of the problems.

“A dreaded society is not a civilized society. The most progressive and powerful society in the civilized sense, is a society which has recognized its ethos, and come to terms with the past and the present, with religion and science. With modernism and mysticism, with materialism and spirituality; a society free of tension, a society rich in culture. Such a society cannot come with hocus-pocus formulas and with fraud. It has to flow from the depth of a divine search.

During his term as the President, he uplifted the state of emergency, thus allowing opposition governments to be formed. His main aim was to eliminate poverty and revitalise the economy, industry and agriculture.

On 14th August 1973 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took up the position of the Prime Minister. In his five years of term, he made extensive reforms changing the capitalistic and western policy to socialistic reforms.

Pakistan is one of nine states to possess nuclear weapons and the only Muslim majority country to do so. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the main architect of this programme, Bhutto led Pakistan’s nuclear weapon programme, despite several shortcomings in the form of limited financial resources and strong western oppositions, Bhutto reportedly said, “Pakistan will fight, fight for a thousand years. If… India builds the (atom) bomb…. (Pakistan) will eat grass or (leaves) even go hungry, but we (Pakistan) will get one of our own (atom bomb)…. We (Pakistan) have no other Choice!” In his 1969 book The Myth of Independence Bhutto argued that it was the necessity for Pakistan to acquire the fission weapon, and start a deterrence programme to be able to stand up to the industrialised states, and against a nuclear armed India.

Perhaps, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed’s greatest contribution to Pakistan was the 1973 Constitution. It was the only unanimously adopted Constitution in the history of this nation and for that reason, even today, in spite of its many mutilations by Military dictators, remains the index and the reference point of Pakistan’s legal and constitutional system.

The people of Pakistan, especially the poor will always remember him with affection because it was Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave the down trodden people of this country a reason to hope for a better future, he gave them a voice, he gave them a sense of dignity. He gave them consciousness that no tank, no dictator can take away; Bhutto brought power to the people. It’s his image lives on, its bhuttoism and his ideology couldn’t be killed

I haven’t witnessed his reign, nor I have any kind of far flash memory but years after his death the grief of loss loomed in the hearts of millions and I have found it in my family members as well, with time I came to know that it’s hard for them to vanish that grief or may be that grief is the only way to keep them close to their leader   Who they aspire, who they don’t want to forget..!! Perhaps never.

It’s a reciprocal love between Bhutto and Awam” and his death couldn’t take it away.

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto: A leader alive in people’s hearts

BY BASHIR RIAZ

On March 18, 1978, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Molvi Mushtaq Hussain gave Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto a death sentence in a false murder case. The decision was not surprising as it was according to the wishes of dictator Zia-ul-Haq who was working towards removing Bhutto from Pakistan’s political landscape.

In October 1977, some Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) workers in London were already claiming that Bhutto would be hanged, indicating that the decision was made even before the trial was conducted.

During that period, Begum Nusrat Bhutto gave an interview to The Guardian where she shared her fears that the military had made its decision to get rid of Bhutto and that General Zia had ignoble intentions for her entire family. Her lawyer, Yahya Bakhtiar also stated in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) that he suspected a false trail to be conducted against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

The news of Bhutto’s death sentence spread like wildfire. Pakistanis and Kashmiris felt devastated by the news. In a London newspaper, the then-British prime minister Edward Heath commented on the decision saying that it would have long-lasting and dire consequences for Pakistan. Other British leaders, as well as leaders from around the world, condemned the decision to hang Bhutto.

Pakistanis registered a strong protest against the decision. The streets echoed with slogans of “long live Quaid-e-Awam” and “death to dictatorship”. Pakistanis demanded an immediate release of their beloved leader.

An eminent British lawyer Sir John Matthew visited Pakistan to witness the trial. Upon his return from Pakistan, I happened to meet him and he shared that if such a case was presented in the British courts, it would have been immediately dismissed. He further observed that the biased attitude of the chief justice gave away the fact that the decision would be given against Bhutto.

Mir Murtaza Bhutto organised a protest in Birmingham against his father’s death sentence. He led thousands of protestors in the streets of Birmingham chanting slogans for the release of their beloved leader.

In his address to the people, Mir Murtaza Bhutto said that Zia was conspiring to murder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and that only a global campaign by the people could save him.

The protest received prominent coverage in the local papers of Birmingham. This protest was the beginning of worldwide outrage against Bhutto’s sentence. British Pakistanis and Kashmiri joined hands and held demonstrations in front of Pakistani High Commissions. Hyde Park in London became a symbol for the restoration of democracy.

After Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged, all the major newspapers of the world commented on the decision and called it a political murder and injustice against Bhutto. A lot of papers even named the chief justice and stated that his partial decision could not have stayed hidden from the world.

It has been 39 years since Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto left us.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in a television interview once said that she does not believe in the politics of revenge. Later, the world saw that her faith was vindicated by history.

The ashes of those who devised the plan of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s murder have become lost in the pages of history. On the other hand, Bhutto, whose name was attempted to be erased from history, is alive even today.

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 Bilawal rejuvenates resolve to take forward ZA Bhutto’s mission

 Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday paid tribute to former prime minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his 91st birth anniversary, to be observed on Saturday (Jan 5), throughout the country.

In his message, the PPP Chairman said that the PPP leadership and party workers would continue their struggle to take the philosophy, vision and mission of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto forward.

He lauded Zulfikar Bhutto and said that it was his aim to not only make people firmly adhere to his ideology rather also apprise the people about commitment to his mission, political vision, wisdom and bravery.

Bilawal said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had a rich mind, an unprecedented democracy in his blood, unmatched political vision with which he created a unanimous Constitution. He retrieved the 90,000 prisoners of war and thousands of miles of occupied Pakistani territory from India and signed the Simla accord.

He pointed out that from laying foundation of the country’s nuclear programme he established mega projects like Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim, universities and health facilities.

https://www.brecorder.com/2019/01/04/463376/bilawal-rejuvenates-resolve-to-take-forward-za-bhuttos-mission/

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB Z A Bhutto a leader with vision, courage, wisdom

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Senior Leader Senator A. Rehman Malik has paid tributes to the founder of the PPP and first democratically-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on his 91st birth anniversary.

Senator A. Rehman Malik said that Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was a born leader with vision, courage and wisdom. He said Shaheed Bhutto was a diplomat, a defence strategist, architect of country’s nuclear programme and a leader who became the leader of the world leaders, said a message issued here on Saturday.

He observed “Unfortunately, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became the victim of dictator’s lust for power but his judicial murder will remain a scar on our national horizon forever.”

Senator Malik said that Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had the vision and dream for the developed and progressive Pakistan.

He said that Shaheed Bhutto was voice of the poor and a ray of hope for the exploited masses.

He said that Bhutto’s vision for a prosperous, peaceful and progressive Pakistan would remain a shining chapter in the history of Pakistan.

https://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB - Bilawal Bhutto seeks accountability for ‘stealing’ millions of votes

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday called for accountability of those “who had stolen the votes of millions of people.”

“When will there be accountability for those who stole the votes of millions of people,” Bilawal Bhutto questioned.

He said there was a planned conspiracy behind the leak of a joint investigation team’s report on alleged money laundering.

“The PTI administration lacks capability to run the government. It has failed to live up to the expectations of people. They are running the government only by levelling allegations against the opposition leaders," said Bilawal while speaking through a video link on the birth anniversary of party founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, he said.

The government has resorted to political victimisation in the name of accountability, but it can't stop the democratic struggle of the country.

“Opposition is the target of so-called accountability drive. But PPP will continue its struggle for supremacy of law,” he said. The young PPP leader lamented that the JIT report was being presented as a verdict.

He said that the country will run only according to the constitution given by PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Bilawal said that the 18th amendment is being targeted, and the country’s federation is under threat due to the negligence being shown against the smaller provinces.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/415136-bilawal-bhutto-seeks-accountability-for-stealing-millions-of-votes

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 Cake Cutting Ceremony On Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Birthday

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 - #PPP Founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's 91th Happy Birthday

#HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 Unmitigated witch-hunt of opposition members being carried out in the name of accountability: Bilawal

An unmitigated witch-hunt of opposition members is being carried out in the name of accountability, said PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He was addressing party workers via video link in Lahore on the grandfather’s 91st birthday. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of PPP, was born on January 5, 1928. “Forty-one years have passed since my grandfather’s judicial murder. It is shameful the way our country’s justice system has failed him,” he remarked.

He remarked that Bhutto upheld the law throughout his life. “The slogan roti, kapra aur makaan [bread, cloth and house] was a testament to his yearning for justice.”

Bilawal said that the lasting legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto shall continue as long as there is injustice in the society.

The PPP chief criticised the ruling PTI and remarked that it was “brought into power”. He remarked, “We are entering the worst era of authoritarianism. We did not fight to have a sham democracy, which is totalitarianism in disguise,” he remarked. PPP will continue to fight the threat to its liberties.

Bilawal thanked the workers for standing with Benazir Bhutto in the fight against the dictatorial regimes of Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf.

#HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto !!!! - (January 5, 1928-April 4, 1979)

By Waqar M

January 5, we celebrate birthday of Z A Bhutto, a leader, politician, revolutionary, who after his execution in Pakistan on April 4, 1979, still lives on in the hearts and minds of millions of Pakistanis, and the party that he founded still possesses the largest permanent voting bank in Pakistan. 

The possibility of the secular, democratic Pakistan that he had in mind, like Pakistan 's founder, Jinnah has earned ZAB the title of Quaid-i-Awam . Z. A. Bhutto has still more charisma than any politician in Pakistan. Mr Bhutto was inducted into office as the President of Pakistan in 1971 and was removed in 1977, both events took place around midnight; one in the wake of a war and the other in the shadow of a civil war. In between he gave the country what even his sympathizers and admirers would concede was a 'strong' government, he mobilized his country's first mass-based political party around a socialist ideology and highly independent foreign policy. Pakistan's modernizer Zulfikar Ali Bhutto left deep footprints in the sands of history. 

To his lasting credit remains the 1973 Constitution of the country, the Shimla Accord of 1972 which brought the longest peace between India and Pakistan, the social reforms to build an egalitarian society, the non-aligned foreign policy, the nuclear programme and the building of the social, economic and military infrastructure of the country. He was a thinker, author and orator. He was deliberate, discreet, and competent; honest, upright and keeper of his covenants. He was a friend of the poor, downtrodden and oppressed. Fearless in his beliefs he refused to bow before any man or power other than the Almighty. His courage was such that he preferred to face death for his beliefs and embraced martyrdom. He had profound faith in freedom and the liberation of humanity. Under his government, Pakistan gave overt and covert support to the African nations than under apartheid and minority rule. He rejected fanaticism. He gave pride to the poor.

He gave voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless of the country. He helped them shape their own destiny and the destiny of their country. He was a man of honour who gave honour and raised the honour of his country and his people. He was able to do this because the people of the country from Khyber to the shores of the Arabian sea in Karachi loved him and supported him. Bhutto brought back 90,000 prisoners of war, prevented their war crime trials and also restored the territory lost on the battlefield. As leader of the Third World he spoke boldly against racism, colonialism and imperialism. He fearlessly defended the right of nations to independence. When the 1973 Ramazan war broke out, he sent Pakistan's military to defend the borders of the Muslim countries, including the Golan Heights of Syria. ZAB's short life of 50 years was spent in the service of many international, regional and national causes. The most important and the most enduring legacy of the Quaid-i-Awam was raising the consciousness of the people for democracy. He awakened the masses, making them realise they were the legitimate fountainhead of political power. He enlightened the farmer, the industrial worker, the student, the woman and the rest of the common people of their importance and of their right of franchise, which is the definite means of bringing changes for the betterment of the lives of the common people. Z. A. Bhutto's rule brought a transformation of Pakistan's rules of the game, a new populist style of governance, a new governmentality, he favoured a much more active role of the state in relation to society, he reshaped the economic and political landscape of Pakistan. He reached out to masses, aroused their feelings and disciplined their minds. The role of Bhutto family in the uplifting of the poor is unforgettable. 

Z A Bhutto is the first person in Pakistan who has given voice to the common people. Z. A. Bhutto remains alive in hearts of millions of Pakistanis. It was a miracle that in less than half a decade a defeated nation had become a significant entity in the comity of nations. Pakistan had friends all around the globe from Africa to the far corner of Asia and from Europe to South America. We were regarded as a nation which had proved itself. Pakistani manpower was exported in the Middle East and the statesmanship of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had started bearing fruit. Under Z A Bhutto's rule, a new vision of Pakistan was born. Within a few years of the defeat in 1971, Pakistan began to see itself not as some beleaguered non-entity in South Asia, as the Indian establishment was prone to see it, but as a strategically located middle-sized power straddling the two worlds of South and West Asia, uniquely poised to take advantage of a host of geopolitical possibilities and enjoying widespread support among the Islamic states. He is one of the few Pakistani leaders that energized the nation and gave it a sense of optimism. Z A Bhutto, saw the future of Pakistan. 

Like Jinnah he outwitted Indira Gandhi at Shimla and formed alliances with various world leaders, from Sadaat, to Boumediene to Qaddafi to Faisal. Pakistan survives today because of those alliances that enabled him to build the Nuclear bomb. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto understood the geo-political realities of the region. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has earned a place in the pantheon of leaders from the Third World who earned everlasting fame in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. He had the privilege of interacting with many of those leaders who played a great role in the epic struggle for national independence in the 20th century, including Mao Tse Tung, Ahmed Soekarno, Chou-en Lai, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Salvador Allende. During the period between the end of the Second World War and the end of the Cold War, the world was divided into two blocs: The Capitalist West and the Socialist East. All these leaders aspired to aspects of a socialist pattern of economy. Bhutto shared their faith in a leading role for the public sector as an instrument of self-reliance. Bhutto's foundation of the PPP was a setback for the reactionary forces in a country long dominated by the Right. The slogan of "Food, Shelter and Clothing" shifted the focus of Pakistan politics from theological to economic issues. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had the courage of his conviction to decide to lay down his life rather than compromise or seek appeasement.

The last chapter of his life is a glorious example of martyrdom for the cause of resurrection of democracy. At the time of his overthrow, Bhutto was emerging as a spokesman of the World of Islam and the leader of the Third World. The age of Bhutto was an Age of Revolution, he was the architect of the China Policy, Pakistan Steel Mill, Agriculture Reforms. Although his life and career were cruelly terminated, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will forever shine in history as one of the Great leaders who took part in the liberation of the Third World from the yoke of Imperialism and Neo Colonialism during the Twentieth Century. He could have easily entered into a deal, as others did, at the cost of principles, to save his life and move out. How cruel it strikes to bring down such a sincere leader like Bhutto with rare caliber, competence and integrity, Bhutto never colluded with generals, he confronted them. Mr. Bhutto remains a memorable figure . He commanded the allegiance of millions of people inside Pakistan, across the Muslim world and in the Third World as a hero of the people. His leadership gave pride to his followers, to his Nation and to oppressed people everywhere. He conquered the hearts of a Nation through supreme qualities of leadership, vision, intellectual breadth, charisma, dauntlessness, bravery, boldness and a programme for political redemption of an exploited people, he built the foundations of education and industrialization in the country. He liberated the small farmers and peasants from the repression and cruelty of big landlords and banished the jagirdari and sardari system declaring that all citizens are born equal and must live with equal rights. 

The Taliban, the terrorist groups and the new war against terror are the direct result of the overthrow of the modernizing government of Z. A. Bhutto and its replacement by a clique of military officers that cynically used the name of religion to promote their own illegal stay in power. Quaid e Awam was murdered but his memory lives on in the monuments he built. It lives on in his ideas. And it lives on in the hearts of all men and women who believe that humanity can only progress when there is tolerance, freedom, dignity and equal opportunity for all. Pakistan survived due to the leadership of a bold and courageous leader, a people's leader, who had the vision to break the shackles of poverty to emancipate his people and lead them into a new decade of glory, strength and achievement. Quaid e Awam built the most modern schools, colleges, universities, professional colleges, vocational training institutes, including Quaid-e-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open University, Chandka Medical College and many others. He built hospitals to take care of the sick and poor. He opened the way for the middle classes to develop and prosper in the fields of medicine, engineering , law and other specialist studies. He introduced peaceful nuclear energy to help treat cancer setting up the first cancer treating institutes in the four provinces of Pakistan. He built roads in the tribal areas and the Northern areas knowing how poor and oppressed people in the distant areas of Pakistan were. Internationally, using his experience as Foreign Minister, he hosted the Islamic Summit Conference in Lahore. It was at this conference that the Palestinian Liberation Organization was recognized as the authentic voice of the Muslims. He advocated closer relations with the Muslim countries arguing for a common economic bloc with banking and other financial institutions long before regional blocs became identified as the economic way forward. Bhutto pushed politics out of the posh drawing rooms into real Pakistan - into the muddy lanes and villages of the poor. Bhutto's inspiring leadership filled Pakistanis with hope, energy and strength. 

There was a sense of purpose and direction in the country in pursuit of peace and prosperity. The economic growth rate increased and money poured in from expatriates who got the universal right to passport. The Muslim countries donated roughly $500 million annually to Pakistan, freeing it of international financial institutions. The people got jobs and opportunities. Women of the country were emancipated entering the police force, Foreign, Civil Service and subordinate judiciary for the first time in the country's history. There is a story that the American President John F. Kennedy was much impressed with the then Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When they met, Kennedy walked with him in the Rose Garden and said, "Bhutto, if you were an American, you would be in my Cabinet". To which Zulfikar Ali Bhutto smilingly replied, "No, Mr. President. If I were an American, you would be in my cabinet". Z A Bhutto, was highly skilled negotiator and an international statesman, he secured the agreement between USSR and Pakistan, he signed an agreement with China on demarcation of the Sino-Pak boundary. When he became President, Pakistan had innumerable problems, but he was not a man to be cowed down by knotty problems, he was in fact, a dynamo of inexhaustible and boundless creative energy, he was born to solve problems , he had to tackle the problems of shattered country by a methodical system of fixing priorities. Bhutto the adroit politician and statesman tackled the difficult problems of his country one by one with devotion, determination and patriotic zeal and solved them successfully. Since his assumption of power this great man of vision and destiny, equipped with resolute will, extraordinary intelligence and seething patriotic zeal fought successfully against the landlords, capitalists, industrialists, religious fanatics, corrupt bureaucrats, saboteurs, foreign intriguers and spies, he stood like a rock against all odds and achieved national unity, he worked hard for the emancipation of the exploited working class and illiterate masses. His cruel and barbaric murder by military despots caused revulsion across the globe, Z A Bhutto dedicated his life to remove the sorrows from the hearts of the poor and the oppressed, to remove the tears from the children of his poor nation. He lived consciously to make history and to leave a legacy in the form of the development of his nation, his fight was a fight against the policies of IMF, which serve to perpetuate the backwardness of the developing nations. 

Bhutto is rightfully credited with saving Pakistan at this dark moment in its history, as French President Giscard d'Estaing said, "he was the man who incarnated Pakistan at a dramatic hour of its history. Tolstoy in the last volume of his War and Peace expressed that history is a movement of ideas in which political leaders play a minor role. Sometimes the movement of ideas is indeed rapid. Yet, at times, the movement of ideas is slower than the melting of the glaciers. The movement of ideas is facilitated in a vibrant political and democratic culture, which gives room for dissent and disagreement. In dictatorial societies, history remains static in a cold freeze. And so it was in Pakistan before Quaid-i-Awam. He was the one who converted that static and decayed dictatorial polity into a vibrant and dynamic democratic society; the cost of which he paid with his own life. He who gave his blood, and the blood of his sons and daughter, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, knew that there can be no sacrifice greater than the sacrifice for the people whose respect, honour and dignity is the respect and dignity of the Nation. Quaid e Awam made the people proud of themselves and of their Nation. The 20th century has seen many great leaders, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is one of them. Due to his glorious achievements, Mr. Bhutto rules the hearts of the Pakistani people from his grave. He was not only the leader of Pakistan, he was the leader of an Islamic world, the leader of Third World. He will forever be remembered by his countrymen as Quaid-e-Awam. As his followers say, "Zinda Hai Bhutto, Zinda Hai"--Bhutto lives, he lives. Indeed he does, in the hearts of all those who dream of a better tomorrow.

#HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #PPP #HappyBirthdaySZAB 🎂🎂💖🌷 - 91st birth anniversary of ZA Bhutto being observed today

The 91st birth anniversary of former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is being observed today.

A wreath will be laid at Bhutto’s grave and special prayers will be held. Various programmes have been planned by PPP Larkana for the day.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while paying tribute to his grandfather said the PPP leadership and party workers will take forward the struggle, philosophy, vision and mission of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto forward.

Bilawal added that his aim is not only to make people firmly adhere to his ideology but also apprise the people about commitment to his mission, political vision, wisdom and bravery. He added that Bhutto had a rich mind, an unprecedented democracy in his blood, unmatched political vision with which he created a unanimous constitution.

Further, Bilawal said that Bhutto not only laid the foundation of the country’s nuclear programme, but he also established mega projects like Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim, universities and health facilities.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/01/05/91st-birth-anniversary-of-za-bhutto-being-observed-today/

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #PPP - Words of Shaeed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #PPP - Ab Waqt Ki Zaban Hai BILAWAL

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB #PPP - Mai Baghi Hoon (Jeyay Bhutto)

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB - Dilan Teer Bija

Video - #HappyBirthdaySZAB #BhuttosAwaitJustice #SZAB - Kal Bhi Bhutto Zinda Tha,Ajj Bhi Bhutto Zinda Hai