KARACHI, Nov 12: Amidst generous praise for the slain former prime minister, the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Chair was established at the University of Karachi on Wednesday at a dedication ceremony held in the Arts Auditorium of the varsity. With an initial fund of Rs25 million, the chair will be dedicated to researching different aspects of Ms Bhutto’s life as well as focussing on issues that may confront Pakistan in the future.

The dedication ceremony saw the auditorium packed to capacity as faculty members, scholars, students, politicians and Pakistan People’s Party supporters gathered to honour the former prime minister’s memory, with raucous pro-Bhutto slogans often punctuating the proceedings.

Announcing the grant of Rs25 million for the chair, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was the chief guest, said he would ensure a unanimous resolution is passed in the Sindh Assembly to guarantee permanent funding for the chair, adding that he would attend to the issues of the youth, as both Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto emphasised empowering the youth.

He described Ms Bhutto as a writer, philosopher, politician, sister, mother and wife, adding that she suffered many privations for her beliefs after the execution of her father, during Gen Ziaul Haq’s martial law.

A message was read out on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari, in which the need to collect and compile data on Benazir Bhutto before it is lost to the vagaries of time was stressed. The president also suggested in the message that the chair should help disseminate the late leader’s ideas.

It was also announced that a chair in honour of Ms Bhutto was being established at Sindh University.

Professor Dr Qasim Raza Siddiqui, KU’s vice-chancellor, said that the impact of the Bhutto family could be seen on national life as they were enlightened people, and that society should remember its enlightened minds. He recalled that ZAB used to have books regularly issued from the university’s library, while both Mr Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were authors themselves.

Praising what he termed was Ms Bhutto’s “political vision,” the vice-chancellor said that “major things can be achieved through this chair. As well as research on BB’s life, future trends should be studied so that there can be a focus on the issues likely to confront the nation.”

He also urged the chief minister to build a 2,000 seat auditorium on the university grounds in honour of Ms Bhutto.

Sindh Minister for Housing Haji Muzaffar Shujra, who is also a member of KU’s syndicate, said that the Bhuttos had a knack for predicting future political trends, adding that Ms Bhutto in particular had an attachment to education.

Labelling Benazir Bhutto an “institution” and a “role model,” Information Minister Shazia Marri said that political stability in the country today was the result of Ms Bhutto’s efforts. She also announced the sum of Rs200,000 on behalf of the information department for the chair.

Sindh Culture and Tourism Minister Sassui Palejo, whose ministry helped set up the chair, said that she felt proud as the first chair linked to Ms Bhutto in Pakistan had been established in Sindh. She said that BB was not just a political leader but had a “multi-dimensional vision,” adding that she had studied and lectured in some of the most prestigious universities in the world.

She said the government would support the chair while a liaison would also be established with those varsities where BB had lectured. Ms Palejo also thanked the VC and the chief minister for their help in establishing the chair.

Prof Saleem Memon of the Department of Sindhi, who conducted the proceedings, pointed that though there were several chairs at the university such as the I.H. Qureshi Chair, Sirah Chair and Shah Latif Chair, only the Shah Latif Chair was active. He asked for a permanent grant for the Benazir Bhutto Chair and suggested that an endowment fund be set up for the chair so that it would not be neglected and to ensure future governments would not withdraw support for it.