PPP commemorates Zia’s military coup

E-Paper | May 02, 2026

LAHORE: The PPP is observing Sunday as black day to commemorate the imposition of martial law by Gen Ziaul Haq in 1977.

“July 5, 1977 is the blackest day of the history of Pakistan when dictator Gen Ziaul Haq toppled the elected government of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and imposed martial law in the country,” said PPP Punjab President Mian Manzoor Wattoo while presiding over a meeting of the party’s executive committee here on Saturday.

He said in events in the provincial capital tributes would be paid to the leaders and the workers who continued relentless struggle against the ferocious dictatorship of Gen Zia.

“The struggle of Shaheed Bhuttos for the downtrodden will be highlighted and condemnation of the Zia’s rule,” he said.

The participants in the meeting prayed for those who lost their lives in the train accident in Gujranwala and demanded that those responsible for the accident should be awarded punishment.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

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Ali Shah

Jul 05, 2015 11:03am

This is all that the PPP is good at doing. Staging dramas and lamenting the past.

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Saad

Jul 05, 2015 11:31am

If Bhutto had accepted the east Pakistan's people's writ, this wouldnt have happened

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Kamal Pasha.

Jul 05, 2015 12:15pm

Zia not only declared martial law after overthrowing Bhutto, but he ruined the every fabric of the country. He imposed many taxes, he opened madressas, he was arrogant and insane.

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JUSTICE

Jul 05, 2015 12:20pm

The blackest day in the history of Pakistan was when Bhutto refused to accept election results, because of Bhutto we lost East Pakistan.

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Atta Mohyuddin

Jul 05, 2015 12:54pm

@Saad true if bhutto accepted East Pak writ it wouldn't happened

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Danish Haider

Jul 05, 2015 01:35pm

Whatever bad Pakistan is facing today solely Zia is responsible for that. Bhutto and other politicians were not angels however, they had been better than Zia.

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Shaukat Ali

Jul 05, 2015 01:50pm

5 July was one of the Golden days of Pakistan's history.

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MYCOMMENTS

Jul 05, 2015 02:37pm

The blackest day in the history of Pakistan was December 16, 1971. Those who did not want to see Mujib ur Rahman as the Prime Minister or President of Pakistan are responsible for this tragedy

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Jul 05, 2015 02:39pm

@Atta Mohyuddin 100% agree with u and Saad

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khanm

Jul 05, 2015 04:59pm

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the general people/public....that era is gone and has become a part of our history...folks..History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.....it is now in our hand....

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Ghani K

Jul 05, 2015 05:00pm

Look at Zia's picture while shaking hand with ZAB, acting as a meek, thankful humble servant. ZAB mainly picked him as COAS because of his submissive demeanor , he found it later on how wrong he was.

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Lucky Star

Jul 05, 2015 05:23pm

@Kamal Pasha. At least he did not loot the country!

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Khattak

Jul 06, 2015 01:11am

zia the dictator over through the PPP government then murder mr bhutto when Musharraf the dictator over throw the muslim league government PPP became part of Musharraf government can one trest any of the political party's in pakistan, these pakistan politician have no principle, when an army over throw an elected government then no politician should be part of they set-up

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True

Jul 06, 2015 02:57am

Not only he destroyed Afghanistan he did so Pakistan , but unfortunately Pakistani people were with him not knowing whom they are backing?

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Abdulla Hussain

Jul 06, 2015 06:58am

Unbiased observation is the masses welcomed Zia's ML because the then politicians failed to deliver & were fighting like tom & Jerry, this is the truth. Black day should be observed against ML or political chaos created by the then leaders.

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