June 22, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 21: Work ers of Pakistan People’s Party celebrated the 55th birth anniversary of their slain leader Benazir Bhutto in an utmost sombre manner, reciting the holy Qurana and donating blood in almost all the districts and towns of the province on Saturday.

Reports from different parts of the province said that the party workers donated blood in large numbers at the party’s camps. The blood would be given to hospitals under directives of the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

In Hyderabad, the Sindh People’s Youth Organisation Hyderabad’s president, Ahsan Ali Abro, set up a blood bank camp on the main road in Qasimabad where 187 bottles of blood were donated by activists on Friday night.

Party workers held a Quran Khawani on Saturday and food was distributed among hundreds of people.

Outside Hyderabad press club the PPP district chapter had set up a blood donation camp and a sabeel for people. Around 70 bottles of blood were donated there. Throughout the day party songs and recent speeches of late Benazir Bhutto were played.

A large number of workers were present in camps, which were wound up in the evening.

A function was also held in the club which was addressed by Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Ali Bhurgari, party leaders Amanullah Siyal, Fayyaz Shah, Abdul Jabbar and others.

The minister said that PPP ministers owed everything to Benazir Bhutto and they were in fact servants of people and not their masters. He was critical of the statements of APDM leadership and termed them a group of a few opportunists.

He said that they had run a campaign to convince people not to participate in elections but people rejected their calls and gave mandate to the PPP. It was PPP whose workers lost their lives on May 12 in Karachi, which proved that the party had wholeheartedly supported lawyers’ movement for independence of judiciary.

He said that the party had introduced a constitutional package, which would soon be placed before the parliament. The present government would give Rs3,000 to jobless people as allowance while 100,000 houses would be built for the people who had been killed or injured in different incidents during the movement.

He said that late party leader had struggled for people’s rights and soon after her arrival in the country the establishment had become active. Threatening messages were conveyed to her but she did not care about them and ultimately sacrifice her life.

In Khairpur, two main programmes were held at Jilani House and Wassan House in which a large number of party activists, workers and members of general public participated.

Blood banks were set up outside Jilani House and Wassan House where hundred of people donated blood. Many workers lit earthen-lamps with their blood to pay homage to late Benazir Bhutto.

Sindh Minister for Communication Manzoor Hussain Wassan was also present at a blood bank outside his residence. Special health secretary Sindh, Dr Shafqat Abbasi, also visited the blood camps.

The leaders paid tribute to late Benazir Bhutto for her services for the restoration of true democracy in the country.

In Sanghar, party leaders said at a function at Nursing School that Bhuttos had sacrificed their lives for the people of Pakistan.

They said that Benazir Bhutto came back knowing she would be killed. Similar gatherings were held in Tando Adam, Shahdadpur and Jhol.

In Nawabshah, activists of PPP, People’s Lawyers Forum, People’s Doctors Forum, People’s Youth Organisation and People’s Students Federation organised and donated blood at the blood camps set up in Thalassaemia Centre.

In Mithi, a large number of PPP leaders and activists donated blood at a camp at Karoonjhar hall.