Monday, April 11, 2022
From 4-yr-old on horseback to outspoken Pakistani opposition leader — Bilawal Bhutto then & now
Days after former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination at Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007, her son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was named her successor as chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He was 19 at the time, and a student at Oxford University. According to a BBC report, he was chosen as the titular head till the completion of his studies before taking over the reins of the PPP.At the press conference where the announcement was made, Bilawal had said that his father Asif Ali Zardari would run the party till he is ready.When his mother Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, Bilawal became the titular head of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Today, he is at the epicentre of a political churning in Pakistan.
Fifteen years later, a somewhat older Bilawal, now 33, is at the epicentre of a major political churning underway in his country as head of the opposition PPP, which was founded by his grandfather and former PM late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The following are a series of photographs from various junctures of the young leader’s life.
The first four photographs were taken in September 1992 at the Bhutto residence in Karachi. Benazir Bhutto, then the Leader of Opposition, was to host a ‘SAARC Opposition leaders seminar’, which was attended by the late former Indian Prime Minister V.P. Singh and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, among others. The photos were taken a day before the event.
ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, an editor with India Today at the time, was good friends with Benazir Bhutto. A fan of Indian classical music, the former PM had requested him to bring along some CDs. While both of them were talking, ThePrint’s National Photo Editor Praveen Jain, who was then with The Pioneer, saw a young
Bilawal and his sister Bakhtawar riding a horse and feeding goats in the garden.
https://theprint.in/in-pictures/from-4-yr-old-on-horseback-to-outspoken-pakistani-opposition-leader-bilawal-bhutto-then-now/906740/
ڈپٹی اسپیکر کا چیئرمین پی پی پی کو خطاب سے روکنا اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ عمران خان اور ان کے حواریوں کے اعصاب پر بلاول بھٹو سوار ہیں۔
اسلام آباد؛ پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی پارلیمنٹیرینز کی مرکزی اطلاعات سیکرٹری و رکن قومی اسمبلی شازیہ عطا مری نے اپنے ایک جاری کردہ بیان میں کہا ہے کہ ڈپٹی اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی قاسم سوری نے آج بھی اسپیکر کی کرسی کو سیاسی مقاصدکیلئے استعمال کیا اورڈپٹی اسپیکر کا چیئرمین پی پی پی کو خطاب سے روکنا اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ عمران خان اور ان کے حواریوں کے اعصاب پر بلاول بھٹو سوار ہیں ۔
شازیہ مری کا کہنا تھا کہ قاسم سوری نے چیئرمین ایاز صادق کی جانب سے چیئرمین پی پی پی بلاول بھٹو زرداری کو خطاب کی دعوت کے بعد اجلاس ملتوی کرکے بدترین پارلیمانی روایت قائم کی ہے ۔
انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پی ٹی آئی اراکین کے استعفوں کے اعلان کے بعد قاسم سوری کا دوبارہ اچانک اجلاس کی سربراہی کرنا ایک چھوٹی حرکت ہے اور قاسم سوری قومی اسمبلی کے ڈپٹی اسپیکر کی حیثیت میں ایوان کی سربراہی کا اخلاقی جواز کھوچکے ہیں جاتے جاتے بھی ایسی اوچھی حرکتیں کرکے عمران خان کے حواری ثابت کررہے ہیں کہ وہ عوام کی نمائندگی کے اہل نہیں
شازیہ مری نے کہا کہ آج ثابت ہوگیا کہ چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو کی تجویز کردہ تحریک عدم اعتماد ہی عمران خان سے نجات کا واحد ذریعہ تھا
Sunday, April 10, 2022
The National Assembly is neither mine, nor Imran Khan’s or Shehbaz Sharif’s but that of the people – Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing the National Assembly has said that the Speaker himself is doing the contempt of court and abrogating the Constitution.
The five-member bench of the Supreme Court has given an order and no agenda item can be raised except the order of the day.
On April 3, their minister had trapped the PM, President and deputy-speaker in abrogation of the constitution. Due to today’s effort, the Speaker is himself involved in these crimes.
Chairman Bilawal demanded of the Speaker to follow the court’s orders. The Speaker will himself be disqualified over the contempt of court. This is not the first time in Pakistan that a speaker’s ruling has been thrown by the court. In the past too, a Speaker sitting in the same chair had given a ruling which was then done away with through a suo-moto notice. The court has ordered for the process of April 3 to be completed and voting has to take place.
The Captain is running and in doing so, is committing a contempt of court and abrogating the constitution. If the Speaker wants to be involved in these crimes, it is up to him.
I had warned the PM a long time ago, to be wary of the person who made a speech before me or else he would trap him. The same person has trapped him.
‘Mr. Speaker, obey the court’s order and conduct voting’, Chairman Bilawal said.
If today’s agenda is not followed, then they should know that the opposition too will not leave. The court is here. We will snatch our constitutional rights.
They are compelling the Speaker on violating the constitution and committing the contempt of court through a fake letter. They do not have the courage to listen.
The reality is that the majority is with the opposition. Imran has lost his majority. All the foreign conspiracy talk is not included in the agenda. We can debate on it for a 100 days but the voting should be conducted. Accept the court’s order.
There are many lies in their story. The first being that the debacle took place on March 7 and our no-confidence came on March 8.
There is a time difference in the US and Pakistan, March 7 there is March 8 over here. Then, even according them, the no-confidence was submitted when their conversation was ongoing. I know who is giving Imran this advice, and they are thinking for themselves. They will get Imran Khan trapped.
We had decided that when Imran is no longer the selected PM, there would be no objections between us. However, the Captain ran in a cowardly manner and is not here today too. He cannot even present his stance.
We ask why the foreign minister was not present in the meeting of the National Security Committee that he mentioned himself. Why was there no mention of the no-confidence in the minutes of the NSC meeting? An ordinary decision of a demarche being given was made.
If a conspiracy was being hatched against Pakistan on March 7 or earlier, then their ‘honour’ should have emerged right then and there along with the proof of their patriotism. They should have asked their allies to not leave them and become a part of a conspiracy. They tell us to not bring a no-confidence and be involved in a conspiracy. However, they only cared for the conspiracy after losing the majority. When Mr. Bugti of the JWP had announced to join us on March 27, they had realised that their game was over.
Now, this fight is not between the PPP and the PTI, or the the PDM and the PTI but that of democratic and undemocratic people. This fight is between those who wish to remain apolitical and neutral and those who wish to be biased and want interference. This is the real conspiracy. The real conspiracy is that Imran fears free and fair elections. He knows that he will be defeated by the opposition as was in the case of the bye-elections, if free and fair elections take place. It is their conspiracy to not let the vote of no-confidence take place. They want to stick to power for a day or two even if it means that the Speaker and the Chairman are made scapegoats.
It is their conspiracy to either let selections take place without electoral reforms or to create a crisis so big that it results in dictatorship and a military rule. They want for democracy to end because as long as it is present, Imran Khan’s politics cannot be saved.
Imran can try a 100 times, but still not become Bhutto. He can try a 1000 times and still not be a political martyr. The reality is that they were selected before and again wish to be selected. However, they should know that whoever is advising them is not to bring former PM Imran Khan again but to wrap up democracy. This is the conspiracy of ending this Islamic, federal and democratic constitution.
Even a child knows why they were selected. They were selected to end the 18th Amendment and rob the rights of the provinces. They were selected and created an economic crisis so big, that a common Pakistani cannot even provide for Sehri and Iftaar for their children in this month of Ramazan.
The economic crisis that has been created is so historic that every Pakistani is in trouble. Neither can they take care of their elders nor can send the youngsters to school. Neither can youngsters attain employment after their education, nor are the farmers getting the prices of their crop. The labourer is not getting the due share of their hard work. They know all of this.
It is Imran’s conspiracy to rob the stomachs and pockets of the people and try to fool them. The Captain cannot see beyond himself.
It is the Speaker’s duty to accept the court’s order. We are not struggling just for Shehbaz Sharif to be made the PM. We are struggling because despite there being various ways of throwing the PM out, we too knew how to knock on Gate no. 4 and play dharna-dharna, but we wanted to remove him via democratic means only. There is only one democratic option and that is of the no-confidence. This is the only legal, constitutional and democratic means to dismiss a government.
If we are successful against them today, then when they protest against us, the PM would not have to do a dharna or look for any Pasha. He would only have to adopt the democratic method and bring a no-confidence against us.
The National Assembly is neither mine, nor Imran Khans or Shehbaz Sharif’s but that of the people, Chairman Bilawal asserted.
I had said in my first speech too, that the foundation of this building of the parliament was laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Chairman Bilawal said. The basis for this constitution was also laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and elders of the members of the Assembly.
The blood and sweat of our workers, leadership and Pakistani citizens has been spent on this constitution.
We will not let anyone conspire against this constitution.
They talk of selling conscience, but 90% of the faces of the former treasury benches have been ‘Lotas’ their whole life. Wherever I see, there are ‘Lotas’. When the foreign minister was changing his party for the first time, how much money did he take? What was the price of his conscience the second time he changed parties? What was the price when he was selling his conscience for the third time?
Those who came to the opposition’s benches and the ones that are yet to come, were forcibly made to join the PTI before the 2018 elections. They were made to decide against their political interest at gun point.
I would like to clarify on the floor of the House, that we won the Senate election being mentioned, but 20 members of ours were made to disappear.
The problem now is that no one is there to repeat these disappearings. This is the reason why they have lost their majority.
In the same elections that we consider selections and the PTI deems the most transparent in history, it obtained only 30% of the votes. The parties on the other side attained 70% votes even in that selection.
The Speaker too should save himself and protect the honour of the National Assembly. They should accept the orders of the Supreme Court because today is once again the seventh day of the no-confidence motion.
We had repeatedly told them during our long march that we are bringing a no-confidence. In September 2020 when the PDM sat together, there was mention of the no-confidence. Was there a foreign conspiracy at that time? Was there the Ukraine-Russia conflict then too?
On 5 January, the CEC of the PPP was conducted in Lahore and we decided on a long march. We also demanded for a resignation and dissolution of the House before that or we would bring a no-confidence.
Our judiciary, establishment and all of Pakistan have been divided. The time has come for us to unite Pakistan to move towards free and fair elections and progress. We will accept whoever gets the mandate as a result of free and fair elections. If there is a hurdle in this, it is those who are abrogating the constitution and waving a fake letter. If this correspondence carried such weightage, then why was the foreign minister not present in the NSC meeting?
Khan has not once done something honourably, but should have towards the end of his rule.
If the voting does not take place, then it would mean that the constitution has been abrogated once again and the contempt of court has taken place, Chairman Bilawal said.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26788/
بلاول بھٹو کا وزیر خارجہ بنائے جانے کی تصدیق سے انکار
چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اپنے وزیر خارجہ بنائے جانے کی تصدیق کرنے سے انکار کردیا ہے۔
برطانوی نشریاتی ادارے سے گفتگو میں بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ ہماری جماعت کی حالیہ جدوجہد کے مقاصد میں عدم اعتماد کو کامیاب بنانا تھا۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ ہمارے مقاصد میں انتخابی اصلاحات، پاکستان میں مستحکم جمہوریت کا قیام بھی شامل ہے۔
برطانوی صحافی نے بلاول بھٹو سے استفسار کیا کہ کیا آپ پاکستان کے اگلے وزیر خارجہ بننے کی تصدیق کریں گے؟
اس پر جواب دیتے ہوئے پی پی چیئرمین نے کہا کہ میں پاکستان کے اگلے وزیر خارجہ بننے کی تصدیق نہیں کرسکتا۔
اُن کا کہنا تھا کہ میری جدوجہد کا مقصد پاکستان میں جمہوری نظام کو مضبوط بنانا ہے، پچھلے 3 سالوں میں آئین، جمہوری نظام، انسانی حقوق، میڈیا کی آزادی کو نقصان پہنچایا گیا۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے مزید کہا کہ پاکستان کے تمام مسائل کا حل جمہوریت، جمہوریت اور مزید جمہوریت ہے، جب تک سیاسی اور جمہوری آزادی حاصل نہ ہو معاشی ترقی کےاہداف حاصل نہیں ہوسکتے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ ہمارا پہلا اقدام ماضی میں کیے گئے غلط کو صحیح کرنا ہے، جس کے لیے طویل راستہ طے کرنا ہے۔
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Pakistan's PM ousted in no-confidence vote in parliament
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-parliament-try-again-vote-oust-pm-khan-2022-04-09/
Friday, April 8, 2022
US: Man impersonated agent, claimed ties to Pakistani intel
By MICHAEL BALSAMO
One of two men accused of impersonating federal agents and giving actual Secret Service agents gifts and free apartments in Washington has claimed to have ties to Pakistani intelligence and had visas showing travel to Pakistan and Iran, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
The men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, were arrested Wednesday. The FBI raided a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington, where the men were staying and had been offering free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents and officers.
During a court appearance Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein said Ali had told witnesses that he was affiliated with the Inter-Services Intelligence agency in Pakistan and that he had multiple visas from Pakistan and Iran in the months before prosecutors believe the men began impersonating U.S. law enforcement officials. Rothstein said the U.S. has not yet been able to verify the veracity of Ali’s claims to the witnesses.
Prosecutors believe the men were trying to “ingratiate themselves” and “integrate” with U.S. federal agents and people who worked in the U.S. defense community, Rothstein said.
The FBI searched five residences at the building on Wednesday and three vehicles. They found body armor, gas masks, zip ties, handcuffs, equipment to break through doors, drones, radios and police training manuals, Rothstein said.
The two men also had surveillance equipment and a high-power telescope, he said. The FBI found evidence that they may have been creating surveillance devices and also found a binder with information on all the residents in the luxury apartment building, which is home to law enforcement officers, defense officials and congressional staffers.
Prosecutors say the men had also set up surveillance in the building and had been telling residents there that they could access any of their cellphones at any time. The residents also told investigators they believed the men had access to their personal information.
The FBI also found several firearms — including handguns and ammunition — and disassembled rifle pieces and sniper scopes, Rothstein said.
Prosecutors allege Taherzadeh and Ali had falsely claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security and work on a special task force investigating gangs and violence connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments — including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year — along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a television, a generator, a gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said.
Islamabad High Court’s decision to declare PECA amendment ordinance unconstitutional is the victory of the constitution
Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed pleasure and welcomed the decision of the Islamabad High Court to null and void the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) amendment ordinance. Central Information Secretary of PPP-P and member of the National Assembly Shazia Atta Marri has said that Pakistan Peoples Party has warmly welcomed and expressed its pleasure in the Islamabad High Court’s decision to declare the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act amendment ordinance unconstitutional and she termed it, the victory of the constitution of Pakistan.
This she expressed in a statement issued hereon today. Shazia Marri said that we congratulate the entire nation and the journalist community of the country over this constitutional victory. Islamabad Court’s decision regarding the rejection of the PECA ordinance is an immense pleasure to all of us because selected Imran Khan Niazi wanted to snatch the freedom of the expression of the common man like the dictators of the past.
Ms. Marri said that Pakistan Peoples Party had already rejected the draconian black law of PECA, today, Islamabad High Court has taken a constitutional step by declaring the PECA amendment ordinance as an unconstitutional move.
She added that Imran Khan’s government has turned the President's House into the center of conspiracies.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26784/
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Pakistan's top court rules against Imran Khan, bringing his ouster closer
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistans-top-court-likely-rule-khans-bid-block-ouster-2022-04-07/
An Open Letter to the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial by Concerned Academics and Citizens on the prevailing political and constitutional crisis
#PakistanSupremeCourt - Speaker’s ruling case: Disputed verdict to make judiciary, next elections controversial, warns Bilawal
Bilawal Bhutto rejects the “doctrine of necessity", saying it’s not acceptable now.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Bilawal Bhutto rejected the “doctrine of necessity", saying it’s not acceptable now.
“In the past, we have seen the doctrine of necessity which is not acceptable now, therefore, we should look towards the Constitution of Pakistan only," he asserted.
“We want the court decision regarding the deputy speaker’s unconstitutional ruling to be in favour of the Constitution. It should not be in mine or Imran Khan's favour,” he added.
Responding to PML-Q’s decision to join PTI, Bilawal said that despite the breach of promise by PML-Q, the Opposition still had a majority.
“We [the joint Opposition] have proved a majority in the Centre as well in Punjab,” he said.
The PPP chairperson said that PM Imran Khan had abrogated the Constitution of Pakistan and ran away.
“Now we hope that [the] judiciary will steer [the] country out of this constitutional crisis," he said, adding that, “we believe the court decision will restore democracy in the country and make institutions uncontroversial too.”
He opined that election reforms were necessary for a transparent election in the country.
“By making election reforms, we can get out of the crisis we have been facing from [the] last 30 years,” he said. But he added that PM Imran Khan dissolved Parliament in an unconstitutional way, so the Opposition could not get the time for election reforms.
'Transparent and fair election'
Bilawal went on to say that they want a transparent and fair election.
The PPP chairperson also lambasted PM Imran Khan for "fabricating a false narrative of a foreign conspiracy".
He was speaking about the ‘threat letter’ that PM Imran Khan brandished at a jalsa at D-chowk. Since then, the PM is labelling the Opposition leaders as traitors for hatching a plot to topple his government.
Subsequently, the PM called an NSC meeting and presented the letter. However, following the directions of the meeting, a ‘demarche’ was issued to the US envoy.
Bilawal said that PM Imran Khan had attempted to drag institutions into politics, saying that the NSC meeting was called solely for political purposes and stirred up an issue of an international conspiracy.
“The way the PM is building up a narrative, a clarification should be issued in this regard,” he said, adding that, “He [PM] is fabricating a false narrative against PPP as NSC’s meeting statement did not mention any conspiracy.”
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/948157-speakers-ruling-case-disputed-verdict-to-make-judiciary-next-elections-controversial-warns-bilawal
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
#Pakistan - ‘Constitutional Coup’ Threatened in Pakistan
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s message on World Health Day
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that provisioning of the state of the art, free of cost medical facilities to the people and revamping and up-gradation of the public health system is what the PPP has always aimed at and continues to taking due steps to ensure true applicability of its plans.It is the obligation of the state to take steps towards free of cost provisioning of the medical facilities among the citizens particularly to those downtrodden populous that does not meet the additional burden, added the PPP Chairman. According to a statement issued from Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP chairman in his message on the occasion of ‘World Health Day’ said that the statistics regarding People’s access to the health facilities in Pakistan points at disappointing situation. Since a mentionable population of up to 40 percent approximately in the country lives under the poverty line due to which the targeted populous can’t meet the huge medical expenses and hence can’t be left at the mercy of health care system in the private sector, he added. The PPP Chairman was of the view that even not a single tertiary care hospital wasn’t established in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan during last many years.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party’s governments had always taken the due responsibility for standard public health.He added that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto took a revolutionary step in Pakistan’s public health sector by founding Lady Health Workers in the 90’s, which is the backbone of country’s healthcare system today.He said that the Sindh government has, despite limited resources, always taken drastic measures for the improvement and upgradation of standard and free of cost health facilities for the masses. He pointed out that the PPP-led Sindh government has set up more than 500 small and large health centers and hospitals across the province till date. Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Gambut Institute of Medical Sciences and Dow Medical University of Health Sciences have been revamped. The CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery set up for cancer patients at JPMC is also a blessing for the patients suffering from cancers. He said that above all, the ailing people receive free treatment in these aforementioned healthcare facilities. In addition, these facilities equally cater to medical needs of the people from other cities and provinces, reminded the PPP Chairman.He further said that the Sindh government, under its ‘Health for All’ policy, has opened the door to free state of the art free medical services for every Pakistani.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated his firm resolve that soon after sweeping next general elections in the country, the PPP-led governments would make the dream of setting up health facilities like Gambut Institute of Medical Sciences, SICVD and Cyber Knife technology a reality in other provinces, too, because other three provinces seriously lag far behind Sindh with regard to health system in Sindh.The PPP chairman also endorsed the World Health Organization’s theme for the World Health Day this year, ‘Our Planet, Our Health’. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari paid growing tribute to those front-line health workers and doctors who embraced martyrdom during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-polio campaigns.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26768/
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
#Pakistan #PPP - The Supreme Court has the opportunity to rectify mistakes-Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Bhutto Zardari post the meeting of the Party’s Central Executive Committee said that on every martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, we hold our CEC meeting and today, I congratulated the members of the CEC on the demise of the selected rule due to their struggle. He said that the governments are not removed by long marches but we started our Awami march from Karachi and I kept challenging Imran Khan to resign or face the no-confidence motion at every station. Then, we democratically attacked the parliament and he ran away. This is the most cowardly defeat in the history of Pakistan. The CEC has decided to arrange Iftaari in districts to celebrate the end of this regime. Imran ran away from the federal government and now is trying to run away from Punjab as well. We are striving for the restoration of democracy, the supremacy of the constitution, and the rule of law. Imran Khan abrogated the constitution and we do not pardon a person who has ever violated the constitution. We will not pardon Imran Khan. We hope that the Supreme Court will support the constitution and democracy. The democratic and constitutional way in our eyes is for the no-confidence to resume from where it was stopped. All institutions were made controversial due to a single man. Now is the chance for the judiciary and the establishment to rectify the mistakes of 2018, the judiciary should take advantage of this. Our judiciary was made to be disputed during the era of Justices Gulzar and Saqib Nisar. Chairman Bilawal said ‘Pakistan is at a fork of the road, we can either return to a democratic and less polarized environment or take the path where the next elections will also be disputed’. If we do not rectify our mistakes, then I can see violence. Imran is using the foreign conspiracy and levelling false accusations to save himself by using the national security forum. If the responsible institutions were present in the NSC meeting, then it is necessary for them to clarify the situation. Did the NSC declare the entire opposition as traitors? If we are traitors then we should all have been arrested. This is not an ordinary accusation we want clarity on this and we do not expect that Imran Khan has the authority to respond to this question. There must be some correspondence and reports about this cable. Where are they? This is a blatant lie of Imran Khan. We will keep protesting until the clarification comes if it is not done, then our response woiulwod be really harsh and everyone will see that. The CEC decided to consult the joint opposition to bring a no-confidence e in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and KP as well, Chairman Bilawal said. We will also be successful in this effort. We have concerns about security and political and economic stability. The CEC has decided to hold its next meeting after the Supreme Court’s verdict. Responding to the questions of the journalists, Chairman PPP said that Imran abused the diplomatic cable. I want clarification on it. Imran’s narrative is not selling because every Pakistani is bearing the cost of his economic policies. The people will vote for their economic well-being and not the false foreign policy. Answering a question, Chairman Bilawal said that he 100% agrees with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, if the matter is not resolved, we will protest so strongly that it will be historic. I will lead that protest with Maulana sahib in every nook and corner of the country. Imran Khan has been a stooge and puppet of the internal powers as well as the western powers. He was planted to sabotage the CPEC, foreign policy, harm the Kashmir Cause, and support Modi. Imran Khan received foreign funding from India and Israel.
Monday, April 4, 2022
#Pakistan #QuaideAwam - Z. A. Bhutto’s legacy
By Bashir Riaz
Shaheed Bhutto’s courage was also reflected throughout his life and political career. He gave ordinary Pakistanis a voice. He brought his country respect and dignity on international political stage. Bhutto was a charismatic leader of great intellect and vision. He did not believe in a compromised foreign policy. He imagined Pakistan as a strong and independent nation of the Muslim World. He spoke about the Kashmir issue in the UN and always defended oppressed people on international forums. He started Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
These were the qualities that made the common people admire him. These same qualities, however, became a thorn in the side for his opponents. They became extremely fearful of Bhutto’s popularity. Perhaps Zia knew that Bhutto had the courage to invoke Article 6 of the constitution against him if freed. Article 6 states: “Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.”
To save himself, Ziaul Haq decided that releasing Bhutto was not an option and he proceeded to eliminate the Bhutto threat by executing him. However, he failed to remove Bhutto from the hearts and minds of the people. Those who opposed Bhutto at the time of Zia now regret their error. Even today, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is remembered as a man of principles and the master of dialogue. He remains an integral part of the landscape of Pakistan’s politics.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came from a comfortable background. He attended Christ Church College, Oxford, and briefly practised law in London. After returning to Pakistan, he started his law practice in Karachi. He was a well-off young lawyer who turned to politics and won people’s hearts. He wanted to make a difference in the lives of the ordinary people and he wanted to bring them respect as citizens of Pakistan.
When Bhutto became the foreign minister in Ayub Khan’s government, he started leaning towards China and turned against Ayub’s pro-American stance. After resigning from Ayub’s government, he founded the Pakistan Peoples Party and emerged as a beloved leader of the people.
Shaheed Bhutto’s biggest success is his legacy that is alive even today. After his death, his wife Begum Nusrat Bhutto and daughter Benazir Bhutto both faced house arrests and hardships during Zia’s time, who wanted to quash Bhutto’s political legacy once and for all. His nefarious plans were foiled.
Benazir Bhutto was determined to fight for democracy in Pakistan and became the first woman prime minister in the Muslim world. After her un-timely death, the torch of the Bhutto’s political legacy is now with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is determined to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. The PPP is still an undeniable force in Pakistani politics, four decades after Shaheed Bhutto’s assassination. Zinda hai Bhutto, zinda hai!
The writer is the former press secretary for Benazir Bhutto, chairperson of the Bhutto Legacy Foundation, and senior adviser to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/947162-bhutto-s-legacy