ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that “dictatorial forces and their cronies” have ruined the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who wanted to get a separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent where they could live peacefully in a society based on equality and tolerance.

This was stated by the PPP chairman in a message on the occasion of 145th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation released by the party’s media office here on Saturday.

“The dictatorial forces always attempted to drag the country away from Quaid-i-Azam’s vision. However, the country’s democratic forces under the leadership of the PPP have foiled all such conspiracies through unforgettable struggle,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.

Paying glowing tribute to Quaid-i-Azam for his services for the cause of the Muslims of the subcontinent, he said the people of Pakistan and the PPP would continue to fulfill his mission. He said it was founding chairman of the PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who fulfilled the dream of Quaid-i-Azam by giving the nation the unanimously agreed constitution of 1973. Mr Bhutto also laid the foundation of a strong defence of the country by strengthening its economy and starting the nuclear programme, he added.

JI chief calls ruling elite hurdle in achieving objective of Pakistan’s creation

Later, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto took a number of steps to make Pakistan a welfare state in line with the Quaid’s vision. He said Ms Bhutto took steps for providing protection to the women, children and marginalised segments of the society.

In his separate message on the occasion of Christmas, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP was the only party which considered Christians, Muslims and people belonging to other religious communities as equal citizens of Pakistan. He said under the 1973 Constitution, all citizens of Pakistan, irrespective of their religion, had equal rights.

The PPP chief said Ms Bhutto and Asif Zardari had ensured representation of the minorities in the government and institutions, including the Senate, during the governments under them. He said the PPP government had declared August 11 as the national day of minorities. Felicitating the Christian community on Christmas, Mr Bhutto-Zardari asked them to pray for peace, harmony and prosperity of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq while addressing party workers here on Saturday regretted that the dream to transform Pakistan as per vision of the Quaid-i-Azam could not be materialised, adding that the feudal lords and ruling elite were the main hurdles in achieving the real objective of Pakistan’s creation.

Mr Haq said the ruling elite of the country worked on western agenda and it was because of them that the country tore into two pieces in 1971. He said the political and religious leadership unfortunately had not learnt the lesson till date and they kept dividing the nation in the name of caste and creed and other prejudices.

The PTI, Mr Haq said, had come to power by uttering slogans of “change” and “state of Madina” but it had failed to transform Pakistan into a welfare Islamic state.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2021