MULTAN, Jan 6: People from various walks of life on Thursday gathered at the local press club for a reference organised by the Minority Rights Commission and Seraiki Multi Forum to commemorate Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Intellectuals, students, teachers and political and civil society activists attended the reference to pay homage to the slain leader and demanded fair investigation into her assassination.

Addressing the reference, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, central vice chairman of PPP, said that martyrdom of Benazir was an irreparable loss to the nation and the country becuase she was a symbol of federation.

He said the people were very much concerned about the unity and future of the country after her murder.

He said the government’s reports regarding the assassination were “a sinister cover-up” and the way the government was trying to get rid of the evidence showed how ‘committed’ it was to the investigation.

Taj Muhammad Khan Langah, president of the Pakistan Seraiki Party, said that Benazir had won everyone’s heart.

He said the country’s entire political scene had changed after Benazir’s assassination while the military and the militants had the same agenda.

He said Benazir’s killing had dented the federation.

Langah said the Pakistan Seraiki Party wanted her murder investigation by an independent international agency under the United Nations.

Mansoor Karim Sial said that it was high time the armed forces were separated from Pakistani politics.  He said the Pakistanis would never forgive the people responsible for Benazir’s killing. He said the people “would take revenge from the establishment” for its callousness regarding Benazir’s security.

Professor Akram Mirrani said Bhutto’s killing was painful for the entire nation as she was the only source of hope for the nation.

Professor Shamim Arif Qureshi said that assassination of Benazir Bhutto was part of the ploy to create instability in Pakistan.

Zahoor Dhareja said that it was time to speak loud and clear.

Syed Hassan Raza Bokhari, Mahr Lal Bhail, Haidar Abbas Gardezi, Suhail Javed, Younis Alam, Babar Soicarno and Asif Karim were other speakers of the reference.—Staff Correspondent