PESHAWAR: Paying rich tribute to Pakistan Peoples Party founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his 38th death anniversary, the party leaders and activists vowed that they will accomplish his mission and serve the nation with full dedication.

A number of meetings were held in Peshawar and different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday to pay homage to the former prime minister.

The main event was arranged at Peshawar Press Club under the aegis of Peoples Doctors Forum where the speakers recalled the sacrifices ZA Bhutto had rendered for strengthening of democracy and welfare of farmers and poor people in the country.

The speakers included PDF president Dr Nisar Khan, PPP provincial vice-president Syed Ayub Shah, Gohar Inqilabi, Hamidullah Zahid, former president Jamal Khattak and Ghani Gul Mehsud. Leaders of Peoples Youth Federation, lawyers and people from different walks of life were also present on the occasion.

Appreciating the initiatives taken by ZA Bhutto, they said that he was a progressive and democratic leader and known across the globe for his vision for the prosperity of the downtrodden class. They said that the PPP founder made labourers, farmers and workers aware of their rights. The party leaders alleged that in the past judiciary and some of the military generals remained opponent of PPP and created hurdles for its governments, but its workers always remained associated with it.

The speakers said that ZA Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto had always raised voice for the rights of the downtrodden and worked for stability of democratic process.

Dr Nisar said that it was PPP’s founding chairman who made the country an atomic state and gave it an honorable status in the international community. Ayub Shah called upon the party leaders, particularly Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to revive the past glory of PPP by following the vision of ZAB to resolve problems of the peasants and workers.

Other speakers, including Gohar Inqilabi and Hamidullah Zahid, vowed to carry forward ZAB’s mission of public welfare. They said that PPP workers would continue their efforts to replace the old colonial system in Fata with a regular law.

Also, the Peshawar city workers of PPP observed the death anniversary in Gulbahar where senior leaders, including Ayub Shah and Zulfiqar Afghani, paid tribute to ZA Bhutto.

In Abbottabad, differences surfaced in PPP when two rival groups held separate meetings at the Abbottabad Press Club on the occasion of death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

One group was led by office-bearers, including Shamroz Khan Jadoon, former provincial minister Waseem Khan Jadoon and Haseeb Abbasi, while the other group was led by PPP activists from Galiyat, including Naheed Gul Abbasi. Leaders of both the groups paid tribute to PPP founder and declared him the voice of poor people.

In Timergara, PPP Lower Dir chapter observed ZAB’s death anniversary with a pledge to work for strengthening democracy and the party.

In this regard, a function was held at the hujra of former minister Mehmood Zeb. Speaking on this occasion, Senator Ahmad Hassan Khan, Mr Zeb and other leaders paid tribute to ZA Bhutto, saying he sacrificed his life but did not bow before a dictator. Senator Hassan said that people were again looking towards PPP and it would emerge victorious in next general elections.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2017