LAHORE: Mr Z.A. Bhutto ... today [July 19] said his party [PPP] would accept only such formula as would be in conformity with the aspirations of the people and their interest. Addressing the party workers, he said that he would extend his utmost co-operation to the Government in tiding over the present crisis, provided the wishes of the people were respected. It was for this very purpose that he had recently met the President twice, he said.

Referring to the criticism in certain quarters that he was power hungry, Mr Bhutto said there could be hardly anything farther from the truth. Had he been power hungry he would have not taken a stand at the Tashkent declaration and would never have resigned from the Ministry. Similarly, he would have accepted the Six Points of Sheikh Mujib — a decision which would have assured him power.

He maintained that at this critical juncture of national history he was demanding power bec­a­use he believed that only a political leadership could solve the people’s problems. The people had voted for his party only because they had faith in its sincerity and ability.... The PPP Chair­man described the three factions of Muslim Lea­gue as three corpses rolled up in one shroud and asked his workers not to be scared by their get-togethers. — Newspaper’s staff correspondent

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2021