KARACHI: The PPP observed on Sunday the eighth anniversary of Karsaz tragedy with due reverence and solemnity across Sindh.

The main ceremony was organised at the memorial for martyrs of the tragedy built in Karachi’s Karsaz area. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, along with sisters Bakhtawar and Aseefa and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, visited the memorial and laid floral wreaths and offered fateha for the martyrs.

The party’s leaders from Karachi division laid a wreath and offered fateha for the martyrs on behalf of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The tragedy occurred on Oct 18, 2007, when Benazir Bhutto returned home from a self-imposed exile after nine years and was leading a big procession from the airport to the city centre. Over 160 PPP activists lost their lives and hundreds suffered injuries when two bomb blasts ripped through the procession.

Strict security measures were made on the eve of arrival of Bilawal Bhutto at the memorial site, with male and female commandos deployed in the area. PPP activists were on duty near the memorial.

The PPP chairman left for Bilawal House, along with members of his delegation, soon after paying tribute to the martyrs and offering fateha for them.

Other PPP leaders who visited the memorial to pay tribute to the martyrs included Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, Senior Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, CM’s Adviser on Culture Shermila Farooqui, special assistants to the CM Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Hussain Rabbani and Mohammad Siddique Abbu Bhai, PPP’s Karachi president Najme Alam, Saeed Chawla, Nadeem Bhutto, Raja Razzaq and Qasim Baloch.

A photo exhibition depicting different periods of struggle by PPP leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto was also arranged at the memorial site.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2015

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