GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH: Extraordinary security measures were taken at the 8th death anniversary of slain PPP leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, with 7,000 policemen, 300 women police and commandos deployed in and around Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto on Sunday.

The party activists and admirers of Bhutto family who descended on the dusty village inn their thousands were forced to park their vehicles about a kilometer away from the main venue.

They had to walk up to the main gates and were allowed in after extensive search and a walk through walkthrough gates. Two big trawlers were parked on the road leading to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to compel the visitors to divert vehicles to the reserved parking lots.

A total of 26 superintendents of police were supervising the security arrangements.

The main venue was filled with zealous activists, who kept on chanting slogans Zindah hy Bibi Zindah hy, Jab tak sooraj chand rahega Bhutto tera nam rahega, Bibi ham shraminda han teri qatil zindah han.

People from different parts of the country kept pouring in and seen offering fateha at the graves of their leaders.

Moving scenes were witnessed inside the shrine when many a worker broke down and burst into tears.

Medical camps were established by the district health office and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University where the activists donated blood. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari donated blood at Naudero House.

Beside Bilawal, his sisters Bakhtawar and Aseefa, aunt Ms Faryal Talpur, former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Asharf, leaders of opposition in Senate and National Assembly, Aitzaz Ahsan, Syed Khursheed Shah, Ms Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Latif Khosa, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Agha Siraj Surrani sat on the main stage during the public meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2015