HYDERABAD: Pakistan People Party (PPP) information secretary Senator Maula Bux Chandio has said that the party will never compromise on supremacy of the Constitution, sustainable democracy and reigning by masses.

He said this in his ‘black day’ message issued through a press release here on Sunday to mark the July 5, 1977 military coup anniversary. PPP founder chairman and prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government was overthrown in the military coup staged by General Ziaul Haq on this day in 1977.

“We will never compromise on constitution, democracy and reigning of masses,” he reaffirmed after paying homage to Z.A. Bhutto as well as his assassinated daughter, a former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.

He condemned the July 5, 1977 coup saying that on this day in 1977, aspirations of the masses, democracy and humanity were murdered. Dictator Ziaul Haq abolished the Constitution and wrapped up democracy after staging the coup, he said.

He said that thousands of people were jailed, hundreds murdered and democracy harmed during the Zia regime. The dictator made a frightening history and “even today, people are facing repercussions which consisted of terrorism, extremism, making fun of parliament, repudiation of autonomy of provinces, targeting real political leadership, and other evils”.

Senator Chandio said that [General] Zia deprived the masses of their rule and continued to install consecutive puppet governments.

Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent speech in the parliament, he said that Mr Khan called [Al Qaeda leader] Osama bin Laden as “martyr” and this reflected mindset of Gen Zia.

He said that despite the fact that Gen Zia overthrew the democratic dispensation in 1977, the masses never accepted “artificial” politicians. “People took up coffins of their leadership but never accepted dictatorship,” he said, adding that the Bhutto family had won hearts of people whereas dictators and their so-called descendants always felt repented.

The senior PPP leader claimed that party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was supposed to be a major threat to the present day’s “artificial political leadership” and descendants of dictatorship. He said the PPP was united under his leadership and respected democracy and the Constitution.

BADIN: Leaders and activists of PPP organised programmes and other events within their party offices across Badin district on Sunday to observe ‘black day’ and condemn the 1977 military coup.

Wearing black armbands, they raised slogans against coup leader General Ziaul Haq and reaffirmed their allegiance to the party and its present leadership.

At the programmes, the leaders highlighted the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-led PPP’s struggle for democracy in the party’s early days and also paid homage to slain party leader Benazir Bhutto. They also highlighted her struggle for the restoration of democracy during and after the military coup.

Speakers at the events recounted Bhottos’ contribution to democracy, the country and the nation as well as the family’s services to the nation and for the uplift of the downtrodden.

PPP activists hoisted black flags atop their offices to mark the day.

Speaking at a ‘black day’ programme, PPP Badin district president Mohammad Ramzan Chandio the military dictator toppled the democratically elected government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to wind up democratic dispensation in the country. His spouse Begum Nusrat Bhutto and daughter Benazir Bhutto carried forward his mission and succeeded in getting democracy restored. The PPP leadership, workers and supporters rendered great sacrifices in the process, he said.

They renewed their continued support to PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in furthering the cause of democracy.

MPA Tanzeela Qambrani, Pir Amjad Siddique, Sain Bux Jamali and other party leaders also spoke.

They said Z.A Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto sacrificed their lives for democracy and rights of the masses but refused to bow before anti-democracy forces.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2020