KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party has announced that it would hold an international conference as well as a public meeting in Islamabad on November 30 to mark its golden jubilee.

Late former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto founded the PPP on Nov 30, 1967.

A meeting presided over by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday at the Bilawal House finalised the foundation day programmes.

It was decided that the public meeting would be held in Islamabad on December 1 in case Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) fall on Nov 30, as the golden jubilee celebrations would continue throughout the year.

After the meeting, senior PPP leaders — Nayyar Bokhari, Farhatullah Babar, Chaudhry Manzoor, Sherry Rehman, Qaim Ali Shah, Akhunzada Chattan, Ali Madad Jatak, Faisal Karim Kundi — held a press conference at the party’s media cell.

They demanded the courts to place the names of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar on the Exit Control List so that they could not escape from the country.

Referring to Friday’s incident outside the accountability court, Islamabad during the hearing of references against the Sharif family, the PPP leaders said it was an attack on judiciary and the PML-N had repeated its own history.

They said it was a calculated move to delay the indictment against the Sharif family.

Recalling the contribution of the PPP, Mr Bokhari said it was his party which had given maximum sacrifices for the sake of democracy in the country.

He said it was the PPP which gave the country the 1973 Constitution and again restored it in its original form through the 18th Amendment and gave rights to provinces.

Chaudhry Manzoor said that the PPP’s struggle for democracy and rights of workers had no parallel in the history of the country.

He said three chairpersons of the party — Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir and Nusrat Bhutto — had struggled and defeated four martial law governments and had taken historic steps for democracy and the rights of people.

In reply to a question, he said that the golden jubilee celebration conventions and conferences would also be held in provinces and districts.

In reply to another question, Senator Farhatullah Babar said committees had been formed for organising golden jubilee programmes across the country.

He said that 2017 was a much important year for the party since the 10th death anniversary of Ms Bhutto would also fall on Dec 27, 2017.

“We will also celebrate 2017 as the year of Fata reforms,” he said.

In reply to another question about allegations of Lyari gangster and chief of the defunct Peoples Amn Committee Uzair Baloch against PPP leadership, Senator Babar said that the party leadership had also faced allegations in the past and it would also face such “false allegations” in future.

He pointed out that the joint investigation team report of the gangster did not contain the name of any PPP leaders.

Senator Sherry Rehman said that the incident at the accountability court, Islamabad deserved condemnation. “PML-N leaders consider themselves over and above the Constitution, law and democracy while we always respected the courts.”

In reply to a question, she said that the party would also give awards to workers for their sacrifices in the golden jubilee functions.

Former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah said that the PPP had not abandoned “heirs of martyrs of democracy” and had done whatever was possible to take care of them.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that PPP leaders and workers would reiterate their commitment, conviction and allegiance to the party and its ideology for a peaceful, prosperous, egalitarian and democratic Pakistan on the golden jubilee celebrations.

Ms Rehman said: “We don’t want the country to fall apart. We are opposing the current regime as it is focusing only on saving its own face with no regard to law or constitution. On the other hand PPP has always given importance to democracy.”

Senator Babar said that the PPP had decided to ensure the implementation of Fata reforms by next year to undo the ongoing injustice with tribal people.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2017