LARKANA: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto stood for democracy and economic justice in the country and fearlessly fought against terrorists.

Speaking at a massive public meeting at Garhi Khuda Bukhsh in connection with the 15th anniversary of her passing, the PPP chairman challenged those who killed his mother to come and see the mammoth crowd that had gathered for her, to see that their designs to stop her mission had failed..

He eulogised the unmatched services of late PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying he gave the country the Constitution of 1973 while his mother Benazir Bhutto continued struggle for 30 years for restoration of democracy in the country.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said this massive gathering had proved that Ms Bhutto’s political workers, brothers and sisters still remember and loved her, adding that they still followed the guidelines Ms Bhutto had outlined.

Bilawal terms terrorism and dictatorship ‘two sides of same coin’

He said Ms Bhutto was world class leader, the first lady prime minister of the Muslim world and the voice of the masses.

The PPP leader said the slain prime minister used to be respected wherever she went in the world and was keenly heard by parliamentarians whenever she visited the United States.

The foreign minister said that Ms Bhutto believed that terrorism and dictatorship were two sides of the same coin and that was the reason she fought against terrorism and extremism.

‘Bury politics of hatred’

“She believed in the politics of hope and not hatred,” he said, adding that it was our responsibility to follow her philosophy of politics of tolerance.

He expressed the hope that the people would help bury the politics of hatred and lie. “We have to bury the politics of lies. With the arm of truth, we will reject the politics of puppets,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.

On this occasion, the PPP leader also criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan and said that like retired Gen Pervez Mushrraf, the PTI leader had now become history and he had no future.

He also paid tribute to military’s personnel who were embracing martyrdom in the fight against terrorism, adding that due to their sacrifices peace and order had been established in the country.

Referring to the flood devastation in Sindh and other parts of the country, the PPP chairman said that it was the worst catastrophe the country had witnessed.

He deplored at a time when one-third of the country was submerged by floodwaters, a fight was going on for the Takht-i-Lahore and the drama of long march to Islamabad was being staged on GT Road.

He said the floods had caused $30 billion losses, 10 per cent of the GDP was lost in floodwaters, and more than 30 million flood victims, including 16 million children and 6 million pregnant women, were still waiting for aid. The infrastructure of 50 per cent educational institutions in Sindh has been affected, he said.

The foreign minister said that the World Bank had decided to give a loan of $2 billion for rehabilitation of flood-hit people in Sindh.

He said land reforms would soon be introduced in the province, as he had discussed it with the Sindh chief minister. Besides, he said interest-free loans would be provided to flood victims in Sindh for the reconstruction of their houses and those without homes would be given home ownership rights.

Sanam Bhutto, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and senior PPP leaders from the four provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan also attended the public meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2022