PESHAWAR: The eighth death anniversary of former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto was observed in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.

The main event was held in Peshawar under the aegis of city and district organisations of the party wherein speakers urged PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to visit different districts of the province and remove differences among the workers to reorganise the party.

The meeting, presided over by former MPA Syed Ayub Shah, was addressed by PPP district president Malik Tehmash Khan, City president Zulfiqar Afghani, Labour leader Shah Zulqarnain, People’s Lawyers Forum president Akbar Khan and Iqbal Mohmand.

Benazir’s death anniversary observed in different districts

The speakers said several members of Bhutto family rendered sacrifices of their lives to enable the poor and downtrodden to raise voice for their rights. They said that there were sufficient proofs against the killers of Benazir Bhutto but no action was taken against them.

Malik Temash urged workers to follow into the footsteps of the party leaders and complete their mission. He said that PPP was still the largest party in the country as it was present in all parts of the country including Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Ayub Shah urged the PPP leadership to ensure implementation of democratic culture in the party and hold intra-party elections so that workers would elect office-bearers of their choice.

Shah Zulqarnain said that PPP always served the working class and enabled the low income group to earn livelihood for their families and raise voice for their rights. He criticised the provincial government for sacking employees of Workers Welfare Board and other departments.

Zulfiqar Afghani urged Bilawal Bhutto to visit every province and meet office-bearers to know about the problems being faced by the party workers owing to internal differences.

In Nowshera, a meeting was held at the residence of Mian Yahya Kakakhel to observe death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. PPP vice president Advocate Ijaz, People’s Lawyers Forum provincial president Jamal Khattak, PPP provincial secretary information Liaquat Shabab and Mohim Afridi addressed the meeting.

They paid rich tributes to Benazir Bhutto and demanded early arrest of her killers. They said that Bhutto family strengthened democratic institutions in the country and empowered poor, women and workers. Criticising both the federal and provincial governments, they said that rulers failed to devise effective plans for mitigating miseries of poor people.

The rulers added to the miseries of poor people through political victimization, they added.

The speakers also came hard on provincial government for what they called targeting political opponents through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission. Liaquat Shabab said that court released him when he was arrested in a fake case of corruption. He said that PTI failed to provide any relief to people.

Mr Shabab asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to give due right so Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remove the impression that PML-N was working only for the rights of the people of Punjab. He also criticised the federal government for interfering in affairs of Singh province.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2015