ISLAMABAD: Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was elected the first Prime Minister of Pakistan under the new Constitution by the National Assembly here this evening [Aug 12]. Mr Bhutto secured 108 votes against 28 received by the joint Opposition candidate, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani of the JUP, in a House of 146 members. Loudly cheered by members of the People’s Party and of those groups which support his Government, Mr Bhutto … bowed to all the sides to acknowledge compliments.

Later, replying to felicitations that were of­­fered to him by members of his own party and the Leader of the Opposition Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Mr Bhutto reiterated his party’s determination to establish democratic traditions and to see that democracy remained in this country for all times to come. Congratu­lating Mr Bhutto … Mr Wali Khan assured him of his party’s full co-operation … for establishing the … supremacy of the Constitution.

However, emphasising that Mr Bhutto alone could establish democratic conventions in the country … Mr Wali Khan said that if a situation ever arose which called for a fight for the democratic rights of the people, his party would fight inside the House as well as outside it.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023