• Huge rally organised at Karachi’s Railway Ground
• In Kotri, Murad highlights party’s struggles against dictatorships
• Leaders in other districts say party always strived for a stronger federation

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) celebrated its 57th foundation day on Saturday with rallies across Sindh where senior party leaders addressed workers before the final speech delivered by chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari through video link.

The party staged a big rally at Railway Ground near Kala Pul in Karachi, and organised power shows in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jacobabad and Mirpurkhas.

Among others, the Karachi rally was also addressed by PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Khuhro and Karachi division president Saeed Ghani.

Riding on motorbikes, cars, vans, buses, trucks and others modes of transport, the charged participants of the rally, which included women and children who were carrying placards, PPP flags, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s portraits, danced to the tunes of party songs and converged at Railway Ground from different parts of the city.

In his address, Mr Khuhro said PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the architect of the Constitution which ensured human rights, strong democracy and supremacy of the parliament. Despite huge sacrifices and facing persecution, the party never adopted the policy of vendetta and always strived for stronger federation, he added.

Addressing the rally, Mr Ghani said that PPP had faced unprecedented hardships in the last 57 years that were never endured by any other political party.

He said the party had waged a struggle against the military dictators in the past as per its ideology and added that no other political party or its leadership could match the political wisdom possessed by the PPP.

The ‘pro-people politics’ was being practised in the country owing to the struggles of the PPP, which had acted as a nursery in the Pakistani politics, he said and claimed that the development work and achievements during the PPP’s regime had also been unprecedented in the history of Pakistani politics.

Rally in Kotri

In Kotri, the party held a power show which was addressed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Underlining achievements of the PPP government, he mentioned the 18th Amendment, introduced by President Asif Aki Zardari which restored provincial autonomy and ensured rights for provinces. He reaffirmed commitment to serve people of Sindh under guidance of the PPP chairman. “Pakistan Peoples Party has always been voice of people and we will continue to uphold and cherish this legacy,” he said and paid rich tributes to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for his services visionary leadership.

He highlighted Bhutto’s iconic slogan “roti, kapra aur makaan” besides his struggle against dictatorships.

He said Bhutto’s efforts had finally made Pakistan’s defence impregnable through nuclear power. “Shaheed Bhutto gave voice to the people and empowered them through power of vote,” Mr Shah remarked.

He criticised the judicial verdict culminating in Bhutto’s hanging and said it was a judicial murder and welcomed the apex court’s verdict in that case.

He said Benazir Bhutto was also assassinated as part of an ‘international conspiracy’.

CM Murad commended her resilience after her father’s hanging and recalled her struggle against General Zia-ul-Haq and her role as the first woman prime minister in the Islamic world.

“Masses stood by her and with their strength, she brought about change in the country,” he added.

He also highlighted development efforts in Jamshoro, describing it as PPP’s bastion of power. “Jamshoro has created records in supporting PPP and we will continue this tradition,” he stated and eulogised President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for their leadership in maintaining unity in party.

The PPP also held public meeting in other parts of the province.

Former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah addressed rallies in Hyderabad, Shazia Marri in Sanghar, Khursheed Shah in Sukkur, Jameel Soomro in Larkana, Nasir Hussain Shah and Zia Lanjhar in Nawabshah, Ejaz Jakhrani in Jacobabad and Sharjeel Inam Memon in Mirpurkhas.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2024