ISLAMABAD, July 4: Chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto on Friday rebuffed threats to democracy and expressed the resolve to continue the struggle for the restoration of democracy “no matter the odds”.

In a press release issued by the party’s media cell here to commemorate the toppling of the first democratically-elected government of the late Zulfikar ALi Bhutto on July 5, 1977, Benazir Bhutto termed the day was quoted as saying: “July 5 is a black day in the history of Pakistan. It was on this day over a quarter of a century ago when a military dictator struck stealthily in the dark of the night to overthrow a democratic and popularly elected government.”

Blaming the then military regime for destroying “democratic institutions, decimation of the judiciary, usurpation of fundamental rights and disenfranchisement of the people of Pakistan.”

She reminded that during the “reign of terror ... innocent people were flogged and hanged merely for political dissent and ethnicity and sectarianism were deliberately promoted by the usurper to create an artificial constituency for perpetuating his rule.”

Accusing the military dictator of doing “a great disservice to religion when he exploited the fair name of Islam to provide a cover for some of his most oppressive measures to stifle dissent and opposition.

“Unfortunately today once again the country is under a dictatorship and the Constitution has been re-written by an individual to suit his own dictatorial agenda and to give a permanent role to the usurpers in the governance of the country. The people of Pakistan will not allow this and the PPP will oppose it as it is against the aspirations of the people and democratic principles.

“Soon after the July 5 subversion of the Constitution in 1977 the military dictator publicly ridiculed the Constitution as ‘a mere 15-page document’.”

Benazir Bhutto further said on the eve of July 5 this year “another military dictator has threatened the entire system to pack up” if his decrees were not accepted as the Constitution.

She said, “we condemn fascism and dictatorship in all their manifestations”, and reiterated to continue to fight against tyranny, dictatorship and attempts to re-write the Constitution.

“The more the dictators resort to tyranny and intimidation; the more it strengthens the resolve of the pro-democracy forces,” she said.