GARHI KHUDA BUKHSH BHUTTO: The programme to observe the 10th death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto, some 25 kilometres from here, was held in a peaceful atmosphere on Wednesday amid tight security as around 7,000 policemen and their officers, as well as those of the traffic department, were deployed at and around the venue. Despite extensive traffic control arrangements, the caravans of participants faced problems in moving to the venue due to heavy rush at welcome camps set up along the routes leading to the venue. Yes, the local PPP had made perfect food distribution arrangements. A tentage village was set up in the ground to accommodate the workers who had come from different districts. Fast food stalls were also set up for people.

Many other stalls had rare photographs of Bhuttos displayed prominently and they were also put on sale along with the party’s tri-colour flags and caps.

PPP workers hailing from other parts of the country who included a large number of women kept pouring in till the end of the main event and offering prayer and laying wreaths on Bhuttos’ graves at the mausoleum.

This time two separate gates for the entry into the mausoleum were set up for men and women and they were allowed only after undergoing necessary scanning. Many of the participants kept raising slogans of Jeay Bhutto, sada jeay and Kal bhi Bhutto zinda tha, aaj bhi Bhutto zinda hay.

This time to avoid botheration, the gates Nos. 8, 9 and 10 leading to the venue were exclusively kept for men while women had to cross through the gate No. 7. However, two other gates were spared for VIPS and lawmakers and it looked as if the entire venue was under tight surveillance. The coming caravans were stopped some two to three kilometres away from the stage from where the participants had to walk to the main venue.

Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari flew in by helicopters from Naudero House at around 4:45pm and one helicopter kept taking aerial view of the entire venue.

At the main stage, PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro [being the host] welcomed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Qamar Zaman Kaira and a host of other senior most PPP leaders. Asif Zardari’s children were wearing black clothes and they intermittently waved to the cheering crowd.

Speaking briefly to the participants, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani said Benazir Bhutto was an internationally acclaimed politician. Had she been alive today, the country would not have been in certain crises, he said.

Nisar Khuhro said PPP had always been ready to fight against dictators. It was useless to name the opponents who had stood by dictators and fled the country, he said. He stressed on timely justice in the Benazir assassination case and said: “we will keep coming here until justice is dispensed”.

Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that what a tragedy it was that a disqualified prime minister, being head of his party, has still under him two presidents [Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir], two prime ministers, four governors, four chief ministers and many ministers but even then he was crying: Mujhy kiyon nikala? He said Nawaz Sharif owned offshore companies still he was crying.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah renewed his and his party’s resolve to accomplish Benazir Bhutto’s mission.

Qamar Zaman Kaira and presidents of PPP’s different chapters also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2017