RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Friday showed its strength by holding a public meeting in Liaquat Bagh, 12 years after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at the same place.

Party workers and supporters from across the country and the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad attended the gathering to observe the death anniversary of Ms Bhutto.

Though there was a pall of gloom at the venue, enthusiasm of the party workers in welcoming their young leadership was visible. Most of the workers were seen weeping but were also chanting ‘Wazir-i-Azam [prime minister] Bilawal’.

However, the arrival of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari brought cheers to their faces.

It was a good show after a long time while most of the participants termed it the start of political activities of the PPP in Punjab from the venue where Ms Bhutto was assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack on December 27, 2007.

Party workers say event marks launch of Bilawal’s political activities in Punjab

Thousands of PPP Jiyalas from across Pakistan thronged Liaquat Bagh wearing caps with party colours and symbol of an arrow and carrying portraits of the party’s founding chairman, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Ms Bhutto, former president, Asif Ali Zardari, and Bilawal Bhutto.

Former premiers Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf were also among the participants who accorded a warm welcome to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari upon his arrival.

The venue of the public meeting and all roads leading to it were decorated with huge portraits of PPP leaders.

Sitting under the open sky in the chilly weather, the jubilant workers kept on chanting slogans in favour of Bilawal Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and other party leaders.

“Our beloved leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto are still alive in our hearts and minds and we came here from Larkana to observe the 12th death anniversary of Ms Bhutto,” said Fiza Abro.

She said Bilawal had reorganised his party by mustering a massive show of power in the city where terrorists assassinated her mother. She said the Bhuttos sacrificed their lives for upholding the Constitution and democracy.

Mehmood Hussain from Umerkot said PPP was the only party in Pakistan whose leadership always took care of the poor. He said Bilawal dared to hold the public gathering at the place where his mother was assassinated.

Many PPP workers said Bilawal Bhutto started his political activities by holding a meeting in Rawalpindi and would soon announce a schedule of his other meetings in Punjab.

Following the instructions of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench, the district government, police and other law enforcement agencies had put tight security inside and outside the venue.

Mr Bilawal Bhutto was escorted to the venue via Gawalmandi amid tight security.

All roads leading to the venue had been sealed by law enforcement agencies by placing containers and other barricades. Walk-through gates were installed at all the entry points and a comprehensive mechanism for body search was adopted in order to avoid any untoward incident.

As many as 5,000 police officials were deployed inside and around Liaquat Bagh. Sharpshooters were also stationed on rooftops of nearby buildings.

Similarly, City Traffic Police (CTP), following instructions of Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mohammad Bin Ashraf, had devised a traffic plan to facilitate the participants or commuters. The CTO monitored the deployment of wardens at different points in order to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2019