PESHAWAR, April 4: Speakers at a function held on Friday said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has been a vanguard in the struggle against successive military regimes in the country and its leaders had laid their lives for the cause of restoration of democracy.

The function was organised by the Bhutto Shaheed Foundation (SBF) -- an NGO, in connection with the 29th death anniversary of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, here at the Peshawar Press Club.

The speakers said, “Mr Bhutto is still alive in the hearts of the people, on the other hand no one cares about retired generals like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Ziaul Haq, who treated this country as their personal fiefdom and destroyed each and every institution in the country.”

They said that the five-party coalition in the centre would fulfill its pledges regarding reinstatement of the judges.

President PPP, Peshawar chapter, Syed Ayub Shah, a former president of PPP, Peshawar, Saeed Ahmed Khan, SBF president Dr Kamal, president of Pakistan Doctors’ Association, Dr Nisar Khan, provincial chief of People’s Youth Organisation Syed Zulqarnain and others spoke on the occasion and paid tributes to the services of the late Bhutto.

Syed Ayub Shah said that Mr Bhutto was the architect of the new Pakistan after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. He added that Mr Bhutto got 95,000 prisoners of war released and secured a vast area back that was occupied by the Indian troops. “He gave a new life to the nation in 1971 and paved the way for development, progress and prosperity,” he maintained.

Mr Bhutto, Ayub Shah said, established friendly relations with Muslim and European countries as well as with China. He said that the former prime minister brought huge investment in basic industries like chemical and steel, which created numerous job opportunities.

Saeed Ahmed Khan said that despite torture, imprisonments, suppressive measures and bribe, the establishment failed to exterminate PPP from the political horizon of the country. He said late Mr Bhutto was a strong voice of the downtrodden and that anti-people and pro-dictatorship forces could not be his political predecessors.

Dr Kamal said that late Ms Bhutto has made her name in history by challenging the misrule of the evil-doers and their political minions across the country.

Our Correspondent adds from Lakki Marwat: The district chapter of the Pakistan People’s Party organised a ceremony at the People’s Secretariat on Friday to mark the 29th death anniversary of the former prime minister and founder of PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed. A large number of party activists attended the event. Quran Khwani was held and ‘langer’ (food) was distributed on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion a former People’s Students Federation leader Khanzada Ahmad Jan Khan Begukhel and others threw light on the services of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Recounting the achievements of Bhutto they said that he protected the country from external aggression by initiating and developing the nuclear programme besides he was the founder of the unanimous 1973 constitution which safeguarded the federation.

Our Correspondent adds from Kohat: The 29th death anniversary of the founding chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was observed at the People’s House in Mian Khel on Friday.

The speakers paid rich tributes to former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for their struggle and sacrifice made for democracy and the rights of the poor people of the country.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Advocate Abdur Rauf, Sultan Hussain, Israf Khan, Hayat Bakhsh, Abdul Wasey Awan, Ijaz Paracha and Gulzar Khan.