KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday celebrated the 98th birth anniversary of late former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto across Sindh with traditional fervour.

Cake-cutting ceremonies were organised at divisional and district levels across the province in which party leaders and workers participated.

In Karachi, an event was held at the party’s city headquarters, Peoples Secretariat. It was attended by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a large number of party workers, elected representatives and local leaders.

The CM also cut the cake to celebrate the party founder’s birthday. Earlier, addressing the ceremony, CM Shah paid glowing tribute to Bhutto, describing him as a visionary, charismatic and people-centric leader who transformed Pakistan’s political, constitutional and defence landscape.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the country its 1973 Constitution, secured the release of 90,000 prisoners of war after the separation of East Pakistan, reclaimed Tharparkar’s economic potential, and laid the foundations of Pakistan’s defence capability, enabling the country to stand confidently against far larger adversaries. Our armed forces today possess strong defensive capabilities because of the strategic vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” the chief minister said.

CM Murad, other leaders highlight party founder’s sacrifices for democracy

Sharing a personal anecdote, CM Shah said that when he was a child, he once accompanied his father to meet a local chieftain, where hundreds of people were seated on the ground while chairs were arranged only for a few. On a later visit, he observed that everyone was seated on chairs, reflecting the empowerment and dignity given to common citizens under Bhutto’s leadership.

Sindh minister and PPP Karachi division president Saeed Ghani and senior party leader Waqar Mahdi also addressed the ceremony.

In Larkana, PPP leaders, activists and supporters celebrated Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s birth anniversary with devotion and respect.

The party’s Larkana district chapter organised a Quran Khwani at Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.

Later, the participants, including MNA Khursheed Junejo, District Council Chairman Aijaz Ahmed Leghari, Asadullah Bhutto, Nisar Bhutto, Mumtaz Chehwan, Syed Arshad Ra­shdi, Mohammad Anwar Bariro and Mansoor Soomro, offered fateha on the graves of the Bhutto martyrs and showered rose petals on their graves.

The party’s district and city chapters jointly organised the main ceremony at the Larkana Arts Council. Aijaz Leghari, CM’s Special Assistant Khair Mohammad Shaikh, Mayor Anwar Ali Luhar, Imran Hassan Jatoi, Asadullah Bhutto and many other PPP leaders and activists attended the programme, where a big cake was cut to celebrate ZAB’s birth anniversary.

Addressing the ceremony, speakers said that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who made Pakistan a nuclear power and enabled its armed forces to give a befitting response to Indian aggression recently. They said ZAB had founded the PPP with the spirit of serving the masses and, through his political acumen, he gave the country the unanimously passed 1973 Constitution.

They said that ZAB struggled for democracy and the rights of the masses, and regretted that he was unfortunately jailed in a fabricated case and subsequently executed.

They noted that the superior judiciary later acknowledged that he was denied a fair trial.

The speakers also praised PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari for projecting a positive image of Pakistan to the world while serving as foreign minister.

They said Bilawal demonstrated political vision by supporting the 26th Constitutional Amendment passed.

They expressed their confidence that Bilawal would continue to carry forward the mission of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

They said he will soon become the prime minister, claiming that he represents 70 per cent of the country’s youth.

Leaders of PPP’s different wings — women, LGs,

Student and youth — as well as Peoples Lawyers Forum, Peoples Doctors Forum, Peoples Labour Forum, Peoples Hari Committee and other sister organisations, besides a large number of workers and supporters also attended the programme.

The event also featured a musical show where singers Shabbir Sammo, Saleem Raza Kumbhar, Lilla Sisters and Sha’aban Sorath paid musical tributes to the dynamic leadership of ZAB.

In Nawabshah, a ceremony to mark ZAB’s birth anniversary was held at the Peoples Secretariat.

A 50-pound cake was cut and distributed among the large number of PPP leaders, activists and supporters.

PPP Shaheed Benazira­bad District President Moham­mad Saalim Zardari, MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio, District Council Chairman Ali Akbar Jamali and others recounted the achievements of PPP under ZAB’s leadership and paid homage to him and all Bhutto family martyrs.Chehwan, Syed Arshad Ra­shdi, Mohammad Anwar Bariro and Mansoor Soomro, offered fateha on the graves of the Bhutto martyrs and showered rose petals on their graves.

The party’s district and city chapters jointly organised the main ceremony at the Larkana Arts Council. Aijaz Leghari, CM’s Special Assistant Khair Mohammad Shaikh, Mayor Anwar Ali Luhar, Imran Hassan Jatoi, Asadullah Bhutto and many other PPP leaders and activists attended the programme, where a big cake was cut to celebrate ZAB’s birth anniversary.

Addressing the ceremony, speakers said that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who made Pakistan a nuclear power and enabled its armed forces to give a befitting response to Indian aggression recently. They said ZAB had founded the PPP with the spirit of serving the masses and, through his political acumen, he gave the country the unanimously passed 1973 Constitution.

They said that ZAB struggled for democracy and the rights of the masses, and regretted that he was unfortunately jailed in a fabricated case and subsequently executed.

They noted that the superior judiciary later acknowledged that he was denied a fair trial.

The speakers also praised PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari for projecting a positive image of Pakistan to the world while serving as foreign minister.

They said Bilawal demonstrated political vision by supporting the 26th Constitutional Amendment passed.

They expressed their confidence that Bilawal would continue to carry forward the mission of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

They said he will soon become the prime minister, claiming that he represents 70 per cent of the country’s youth.

Leaders of PPP’s different wings — women, LGs,

Student and youth — as well as Peoples Lawyers Forum, Peoples Doctors Forum, Peoples Labour Forum, Peoples Hari Committee and other sister organisations, besides a large number of workers and supporters also attended the programme.

The event also featured a musical show where singers Shabbir Sammo, Saleem Raza Kumbhar, Lilla Sisters and Sha’aban Sorath paid musical tributes to the dynamic leadership of ZAB.

In Nawabshah, a ceremony to mark ZAB’s birth anniversary was held at the Peoples Secretariat.

A 50-pound cake was cut and distributed among the large number of PPP leaders, activists and supporters.

PPP Shaheed Benazira­bad District President Moham­mad Saalim Zardari, MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio, District Council Chairman Ali Akbar Jamali and others recounted the achievements of PPP under ZAB’s leadership and paid homage to him and all Bhutto family martyrs.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026