RAWALPINDI, Feb 7: Observing the chehlum of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi and its adjoining areas, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Thursday vowed to keep alive the mission of its slain leader and expose her killers.

The biggest gathering in Rawalpindi was held in Liaquat Bagh, where Ms Bhutto was assassinated on December 27. The gathering was attended by people from all walks of life including women and children.

The people descended on the venue with tears in their eyes despite the chilly weather and rainfall.

Local leaders of the party, who are contesting elections from different constituencies of Rawalpindi, including Zamurad Khan, Amir Fida Paracha, Shaukat Hayat Khan and Khalid Nawaz Bobi delivered fiery speeches on the occasion.

Quran Khwani and Naat were offered on the occasion and there was hardly a dry eye among the participants gathered to recall the bitter memories of December 27, when the former prime minister was assassinated.

A large number of vendors had also gathered at the site selling portraits of Ms Bhutto and her family members.

Speaking to the mourners, Zamurad Khan vowed that the killers of Ms Benazir would be exposed. He reiterated the PPP demand to probe the assassination under the auspices of United Nations (UN).

The chehlum later turned into an election rally, as the candidates called upon the people to vote for the PPP as it would be the best revenge of Ms Bhutto’s murder.

TAXILA: Speakers at a condolence reference held in connection with the chehlum of Ms Bhutto in Taxila paid tributes to the former premier for her courage and dedication to fight dictatorship.

Those who spoke on the occasion included president PPP district Rawalpindi and candidate from NA-53 Sardar Shoaib Mumtaz, vice-president PPP Rawalpindi chapter Yasir Arafat Advocate, candidate from PP-7 (Taxila) Hassan Askari Syed, Amir Iqbal Khan (PP-8) and others.

They said People’s Party manifesto for the general elections had a message of hope for the poor, and if implemented it would bring positive changes in various walks of life.

GOJAL-HUNZA: Political leaders, workers and civil society members paid glowing tributes to slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto at a public rally at Passu village in Gojal tehsil on Thursday.

They recalled the services rendered by late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and her daughter Benazir Bhutto for Gilgit-Baltistan.

The public rally, through a unanimous resolution, condemned the murder of the first woman prime minister of the Muslim world and demanded an independent probe into the tragedy by UN team.

They said Benazir Bhutto continued her father’s mission and increased members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC), gave it legal protection, allocated reserved seats for women in the house, set up chief court, reserved seats for students of the Northern Areas in professional institutions in the country, created job opportunities in local as well as federal government departments and launched unprecedented development projects and set up network of schools and hospitals in the area.

The PPP leaders who spoke on the occasion were Wazir Baig, former member of the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly Ghulam Mohammad, vice-president PPP Gilgit district Karim Khan, Abu Zar Ali, Hajat Mohammad, Ghadir Shah, Sherullah Baig, Arab Khan, Aziz Jan, vice-chairman Union Council Hussain Ali, Ghulam Amin, Abdullah Bai, Ali Aman Gojali and Haider Tai of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

ATTOCK: PPP workers, leaders and a large number of people from different walks of life attended Quran Khwani for the soul of Ms Bhutto in the city. Afterwards, a collective prayer was offered by the participants.

The chehlum was also observed in some other parts of the district.

Speaking to the gathering in the Attock city, PPP leader Malik Hakmeen Khan said the assassination of Ms Bhutto demanded of the party workers to turn their grief into a movement to continue her mission to uphold democratic norms in the country. Chehlum was also observed in Gujar Khan and Murree.