LAHORE: The PPP leaders say their party is committed to democracy but the rulers are not demonstrating democratic attitude towards other political parties.

The PPP Lahore chapter and the party’s lawyers’ wing held separate seminars in the city on Saturday to observe July 5 as ‘Black Day’ to denounce the imposition of martial law by Gen Ziaul Haq in 1977 after dismissing the elected government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

PPP Secretary-General Sardar Latif Khosa called upon the government to accept the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf demand regarding the voters’ verification in four constituencies instead of exposing the system to ‘unnecessary’ dangers.

The PTI has given a call for a long march on Islamabad on Aug 14.

Mr Khosa said July 5 was the day to reiterate the pledge to reject and resist the anti-democratic forces in all their forms and manifestations. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rendered the ultimate sacrifice for upholding the cause of people’s empowerment and rebuffed the dictatorship of Ziaul Haq, he said.

He said late Bhutto made Pakistan’s defense impregnable by making the country a nuclear power.

The former governor said the imperialists were not happy with Bhutto and they decided to eliminate him because he was becoming a big hurdle in the way of achieving their strategic objectives in the region.

“Holding the Islamic Summit in Lahore was a big boost for Pakistan and that also set the alarm bells ringing in the countries that did not want to see the emergence of an Islamic Block spearheaded by ZAB, considering it potentially detrimental to their geo-political interests,” he said and added these powers found Gen Zia who served their interests by hanging the first directly elected prime minister of Pakistan.

Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said the PPP was committed to democracy and would not become part of any move to derail it.

Mr Ahsan predicted that Dr Tahirul Qadri who had returned with a claim to bring a revolution in the country would soon leave for Canada.

Questioning Mr Qadri’s claim that he had returned to Pakistan for good, Aitzaz asked had he surrendered Canadian nationality.

Published in Dawn, July 6th , 2014