Lahore (Web Desk): The 90th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in being observed today (Friday) across the country.
The programmes of 90th birth anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will start with the recitation of Holy Quran at his grave in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh after which floral wreaths will be laid at the grave of founding father of PPP and special prayers will be held for the departed soul.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Pakistanis were deeply missing their beloved leader Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as the current internal and external situation requires a political sagacity of his calibre to handle the current affairs.
“Those who snatched Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from us actually tried to eliminate the dream of our founding fathers about Pakistan. But wisdom, tolerance, patience and bravery of Benazir Bhutto foiled the evil designs of the perpetrators of both murders,” the PPP chairman said in a statement issued on the eve of the 90th birth anniversary of ZAB.
Bilawal said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto picked up the broken pieces and rebuilt the country after getting freed 93,000 Prisoners of War and 5,000 square miles of our land [after separation of Bangladesh] from India through his excellent diplomatic skills.
He 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 remarked.
He pledged that his party would continue to pursue the mission and vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to make Pakistan an egalitarian, peaceful, progressive and a democratic role-model Muslim country in the world.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Ali Zardari, in a message on the eve of the 90th birth anniversary of founding chairman of PPP Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, said the PPP would fight the religious extremists and not permit them to usurp political power in the name of religion.
Zardari said that “the political ideal of our founding chairman that all political power belongs to the people has inspired and will 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 added.
The PPPP president said that standing tall as a beacon of light and inspiration Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto awakened the people and gave them hope.
“ZA Bhutto illumined the path for the coming generations. No one can rob him of his great achievements,” he added.
“Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto restored the nation’s confidence, lifted the spirits of the people and gave them the gifts of a unanimous democratic Constitution and a strengthened national defence,” he said, adding the party would protect this legacy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at all costs.
Zardari further said, “On this day as we rededicate themselves to the political ideals of chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Today we also pay homage to all those who laid down their lives and endured exile, torture and imprisonment in the cause of democracy and fighting against tyranny”.