KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that Pakistanis were deeply missing their beloved leader Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as the current internal and external situation required a political sagacity and statesmanship of his level to handle the state of affairs today.
“Those who snatched Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from us actually tried to eliminate the very dream of our founding fathers about Pakistan. But wisdom, tolerance, patience and bravery of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and later of President Asif Ali Zardari after her martyrdom, foiled the evil designs of the perpetrators of both murders,” the PPP chairman said in statement, issued on the eve of 90th birthday of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto picked up the broken pieces and rebuilt the country after freeing 93,000 Prisoners of War (PoWs) and 5,000 square miles of our land from enemy captivity and occupation through his excellent diplomatic skills.
In a country shattered by war, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gifted the first-ever unanimous constitution and laid groundbreaking defence, economic and industrial foundations. “One man – One Vote, passport for every citizen, equality, end to discrimination, and empowerment of women and other vulnerable segments of society were the hallmark decisions of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto fought valiantly against dictatorships and for democratic rights of the people of Pakistan, eventually laying down his life but didn’t compromise over his ideals and mission.
The PPP chairman said that people of Pakistan would always remember him in golden words as their hero while his opponents were also accepting his courage, statesmanship, foresightedness and love for his country and nation. “Tormenters of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto vanished into midair in a natural justice system but he remains in the hearts and minds of millions of people even today,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that his party would continue to pursue the mission and vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to make Pakistan an egalitarian, peaceful, progressive and a democratic role-model Muslim country in the world.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari said that the PPP would fight the religious extremists and not permit them to usurp political power in the name of religion. He stated this on Thursday in a message on the eve of 90th birth anniversary of founding chairman of PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to be marked on Friday.
Asif Zardari said that the political ideal of our founding chairman that all political power belonged to the people had inspired and would continue to inspire generations to come.
“I call upon the democracy loving people to rededicate themselves to this ideal and not permit religious extremists to usurp power in the name of religion,” he said.
Published in Daily Times, January 5th 2018.
