LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday that his party had the track record of struggling for religious harmony and it would continue with this policy.

He said this while speaking at a gathering here at a local church, where he came on the invitation of the Christian community. He was warmly welcomed at the church.

Sanam Bhutto, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, MNA Khursheed Shah, Lal Chand Ukrani, MPA Suhail Anwar Siyal, Nida Khuhro, Abdul Fatah Bhutto, Aslam Shaikh and others were also present.

Local leaders of the Christian community presented traditional gifts to Mr Bhutto-Zardari and others on the occasion. The Christian community was represented by Father Yaqoob Gill, Danish Suh­gil, Sagar Anthony, Sheela Bhatti and others.

Speaking on the occasion, the PPP chief said that his party wanted to have religious harmony among all religions in the country as it had roots in the political philosophy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Referring to inclusion of his name along with other family members on the Exit Control List (ECL) by the government, he cited the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, assassination of his mother Bena­zir and others and prolonged det­en­tion of his father Asif Ali Zar­dari in jail and said: “We are not scared of such tactics. We had neither then run away nor would do this time.”

In an apparent reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government, he said the “puppets” could run away but Bhuttos’ would not.

“We are not afraid of inclusion of our names on the ECL or getting notices. PPP would continue doing politics in line with the political philosophy of Zulkifar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” he said.

He called on people for extending support to the PPP for what he called a long struggle. He said that the PPP believed in progress that could only be brought in with joint efforts and struggle.

Later, talking to the media he vowed to take up issues from the floor of the house and outside.

About Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, he said he “is our trusted chief minister”. Earlier, he along with Sanam Bhutto and Mr Khuhro visited Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto and laid floral wreaths on Bhuttos graves.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2018