KARACHI: Thousands, mostly students, greeted Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Foreign Minister, when he arrived at the Karachi Cantonment railway station yesterday afternoon.

The students from various educational institutions and representing different student organisations carried placards and banners with them, besides huge portraits of Mr Bhutto.

The students and others swarmed Mr Bhutto’s saloon as soon as the Bolan Mail steamed into the platform 20 minutes behind schedule.

The big crowd made it impossible for Mr Bhutto to come out of his saloon for at least 25 minutes. They blocked his passage — but once he came out, he was carried on shoulders by some of the eager students.

Another crowd waiting outside the station, greeted Mr Bhutto with slogans and cheers. They too rendered his advance impossible. The mounted police helped Mr Bhutto to reach the waiting car.

Police had earlier made several attempts to cordon off Mr Bhutto and let him go out by a side-gate, but the students frustrated all these efforts.

A large number of policemen were present at the station to cope with the situation as an estimated crowd of 50,000 had gathered at the station.

Later, in the evening, a students’ delegation led by Mr Mairaj Mohammad Khan met Mr Bhutto at his Clifton residence.

[Agencies add,] slogans of “Bhutto Zindabad” and “Bhutto don’t go abroad” rent the air as the Bolan Mail crept along the crowded platform. A number of people climbed up to the top of the saloon from where they showered flower petals on Mr Bhutto.

Mr Bhutto, who seemed deeply moved by the affection and warmth of the people, acknowledged the cheers and slogans by waving hands.

The students carried big placards with slogans of “Sino-Pak friendship Zindabad”, “Karachi students salute Bhutto”, “Quit SEATO and CENTO”, “Pakistanis don’t want US aid”.

Mr Bhutto declined to make any statement when contacted by local and foreign newsmen both at the station and his residence.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2016