ISLAMABAD, June 20: President Asif Ali Zardari has urged PPP workers to follow in the footsteps of the late Benazir Bhutto and asked them to donate blood and serve humanity.

In his message on the 58th birthday of Ms Bhutto, he urged party workers to reiterate their commitment to the values she stood and fought for, and finally laid down her life.

“Let us on this day take a leaf from her life and stand up to militants and extremists and vow not to allow them to force their ideology through brute force,” he said.

“To commemorate her sacrifice in the fight against militants I urge all party workers to donate blood on this day, as before, for all those who have shed their blood fighting militants.”

He said that days before her assassination the leader had asked people to stand up to extremism and dictatorship and to banish poverty and ignorance.

“Her clarion call was a roadmap for making Pakistan a modern and pluralistic state.”

President Zardari, who is co-chairman of the PPP, said the party would continue strengthening democracy and extricating the downtrodden from poverty and degradation.

“Let us also remember our martyrs who have laid down their lives so that the nation lives and also the martyrs of democracy who suffered exile, imprisonment and execution to end tyranny and dictatorship.

On the eve of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's birthday we salute them all.” GILANI

: In his message, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government would turn Pakistan into a real Islamic, democratic and prosperous state by adhering to the vision of Ms Bhutto.

“We believe that the right way to present tribute to our Shaheed leader is to follow her teachings and guidelines, particularly the policy of reconciliation.”

He said Ms Bhutto had upheld the national interest against personal and party agendas and signed the Charter of Democracy which was regarded as an authentic political document.

He said the late leader had introduced a new culture and ideology in national politics by presenting the philosophy of reconciliation.

“Our government is amicably following this philosophy with determination.”

He said that with her extraordinary intellect and wisdom she had left a glowing legacy, by following in the footsteps of her father and the country's first elected prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

“We will continue our fight against terrorism and the negative perception of extremism which targeted our great leader on Dec 27, 2007.” —APP