KARACHI: Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday reiterated that his party would continue to advance the struggle to strengthen democracy in the country, because the “martyrs” of the Karsaz sacrificed for its establishment and strengthening.

In his message on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy, he said that it reminds them the sacrifices of the leadership and workers of the party during the struggle to restore and strengthen democracy in the country.

“Both the leadership and workers fought so many heinous conspiracies and walked through the rivers of blood to accomplish the mission of democracy, equality, peace and prosperity in the country,” he said.

In his message, former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the PPP-Parliamentarian president, said that the party fulfilled the mission of Benazir Bhutto.

He said the PPP restored the 1973 Constitution in its original form, hoisted the national flag again in Swat, gave autonomy to the provinces, gave identity to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the poor and deserving women were partaken in the society through Benazir Income Support Programme, and added that the 18th Amendment guaranteed the country’s survival and integrity.

“Our struggle is for employment of the youth, economic prosperity and social justice. The PPP completed Benazir Bhutto’s mission by giving power back to the parliament, that was stolen from it by dictators,” he said.

In a joint statement statement, PPP-Sindh president Senator Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said the office-bearers and workers of the party would hold ceremonies at the district level to pray for the people who had lost their lives in the Karsaz tragedy.

They said leaders and activists of the party would also visit the Karsaz Monument on Sharea Faisal on Tuesday (today) at 4pm to lay wreaths to pay homage to the followers of the PPP who had lost their lives while participating in Ms Bhutto’s homecoming rally.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2022