December 27, 2008	Saturday	Zilhaj 28, 1429

LARKANA, Dec 26: Pakistan People’s Party’s central executive committee held a meeting on the eve of the first death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto in Naudero on Friday. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari chaired the meeting. President Asif Ali Zardari, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Fakhar Imam, Nisar Khuhro, Raja Parvez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Jahangir Badar, Rehman Malik and Syed Qaim Ali Shah attended the meeting.

Reporters braved cold winds in the open half a kilometre away from the president’s house, but there was no press briefing. Security was so tight that vehicles of even top party leaders were not allowed to go beyond the barricades.

All routes leading to the venue were sealed and a senior police officer supervised security. Nabeel Gabol said that the committee praised Bilawal and Asif Zardari for effectively and ably handling the critical situation arising after Benazir’s assassination. He said no political matter had been discussed and the president would address a public meeting in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto on Satrurday.

Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman said that members of CEC paid tributes to Benazir Bhutto for “sacrificing her life for democracy”.

She said that a minute’s silence would be observed at 5:20pm on Dec 27 at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to mark the moment when shots were fired at Ms Bhutto after the Liaquat Bagh rally in Rawalpindi.

Police and Rangers personnel patrolled roads leading to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and Naudero. Larkana DPO Irfan Baloch said that police and Rangers were looking after security arrangements in the two towns and there was no need to call in the army. He said that 25 Rangers vehicles had been deployed to secure the President’s House in Naudero.

The Sindh police chief visited the mausoleum of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto late on Friday night to review the situation.

Visitors would be allowed to use only the routes designated for entering or leaving the precincts of the mausoleum.

Ambulances and fire brigade vehicles have been called in from almost all districts of the province. Camps have been set up to welcome visitors in Larkana, Naudero, Ratodero and others towns in the district.

Special trains are being run from Rawalpindi, Quetta and Lahore while shuttle trains would bring people to Naudero railway station from Dadu and Rohri. Groups of 30 to 40 people have been flocking to the Bhutto family’s graveyard from all over the country.

The tight security is causing problems for people living near the mausoleum and visitors alike as a number of roads have been blocked to facilitate VVIP movement. Prominent among those who visited Benazir’s grave on Friday were the slain leader’s sister, Sanam Bhutto, her daughter Azaadi and son Shaheryar, Zulfiqar Mirza, Jehangir Badar, Pir Maharul Haq and Siraj Durrani.