Rich tribute paid to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a function on Thursday paid rich tributes to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and first elected prime minister of the country, who was sentenced to death and executed on April 4, 1979.

The Peshawar city chapter of the PPP arranged a programme to mark the 45 death anniversary of the party founder. A central leader, Qamar Zaman Kaira, was the main speaker at the event.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a leader of international stature who worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the country.

“Quaid-e-Awam gave the voice to the voiceless, struggled for democracy and gave the 1973 constitution to the country,” he said while enumerating some services of the leader, especially the ones he offered after taking over the reins of power after the country was dismembered in 1971.

The PPP leader said the case instituted against the party founder, which was used to eliminate him through the judiciary, was not fair. “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was innocent and that is why he is still loved by the masses even 45 years after his hanging,” explained Kaira, adding he was killed under an international conspiracy.

He alleged the martial law regime at that time conspired with the judiciary to fulfill the desire of their international masters and kill Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “But his elimination and subsequent crackdown did not finish the party,” said the PPP leader.

Kaira said the PPP leaders and workers braved all the odds but stood by their principles and never let their party be weakened. He said the party workers were arrested, tortured and lashed but continued to raise the voices for democracy.

Without naming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the PPP leader expressed concern over the efforts being made to create uncertainty in the country after a political party faced some problems.

“Our mandate was stolen in every election but we did not cede the ground. “We never acted against the country’s constitution,” he said, adding the party continued to wage the struggle for democracy and a lasting peace in the country.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s recent verdict which had stated that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not provided a fair trial in the case that had led to his hanging, Kaira said that amounted to an admission by the court that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was murdered. He said it had been admitted after 45 long years that a popular leader of the country was murdered.

Hitting out at the make-and-break role of the powerful quarters, he said that PTI was brought into power and the people were promised justice. “ The people are justified in asking what kind of justice the PTI government introduced in the country?” he said.

Lashing out at Imran Khan, he said that the PTI founder would always accuse his rivals of corruption but his (PTI) government was itself involved in corruption.

The PPP leader was critical of the PTI members after accusing them of using abusive language for rivals.Other speakers, Syed Zaffar Ali Shah, Zulfikar Afghani, also spoke on the occasion.