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• Slams ‘illegal’ aggression against Iran
• Outlines series of relief measures being taken by Sindh govt amid crisis
LARKANA: PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said his party has always stood against war, warning that the conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran is not confined to those borders alone but poses a threat to the entire world.
“An illegal war has been launched against Iran, and like every Pakistani, we condemn it,” he said while addressing a select gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh held to mark the 47th death anniversary of the PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on Saturday.
He said the commemoration of the death anniversary this year had been kept low-key out of respect for the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the victims of attacks on schools involving women and children in the region.
“War is never a solution to any problem. Wherever war occurs, it is the common people who suffer,” he said, adding that the effects of the ongoing conflict were already being felt across Pakistan in the form of rising fuel prices, electricity costs, inflation, and economic hardship.
Paying tribute to the PPP founder, he said, “The forces attacking Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria dare not cast an eye towards Pakistan — and that is because of the nuclear capability gifted to us by Shaheed Quaid-i-Awam [Zulfikar Ali Bhutto],” he declared. “He embraced martyrdom but gave the Ummah nuclear power.”
‘Relief measures’
Turning to domestic concerns, the PPP chairman acknowledged the unprecedented economic difficulties faced by ordinary Pakistanis and outlined a series of relief measures being undertaken by the Sindh government. However, he said these interventions were insufficient.
He announced the Benazir Haari Card for small farmers owning less than 25 acres, urging eligible farmers to register immediately to avail themselves of financial assistance. He also cited the subsidy offer for registered motorcycle riders in Sindh and called on the provincial government to waive the fee for motorcycle registration transfers.
On public transport, he said the Sindh government would collaborate with the People’s Bus Service and private transporters, providing financial support to prevent fare hikes amid rising fuel costs. He added that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah would soon meet transport associations to finalise the arrangement.
‘National interest’
The PPP chairman urged all political parties to set aside their differences and work together in the national interest during this difficult period.
In this regard, he praised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for participating constructively in meetings held at the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s House, attended by representatives from all provinces, including PTI. “If there is no division among us, there is no force in the world that can break Pakistan,” he said.
He called on the federal government to increase allocations through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to provide relief to the poor and suggested that if a mini-budget was being considered, it should channel assistance through BISP.
The PPP chairman concluded by expressing hope that by the time of his mother, former premier Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary in December, the war would be over, peace restored, and the economic situation improved.
Visit to mausoleum
The PPP chairman visited the Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and offered Fateha at the graves of martyrs.
He was accompanied by the Sindh CM, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, Jamil Soomro, Suhail Anwar Siyal, Syed Nasir Shah, Khursheed Junejo, and Khair Muhammad Shaikh.
Separately, a gathering marking the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, under the banner of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, son of the late Murtaza Bhutto and another grandson of the PPP founder, was also organised in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
A Quran Khawani was held to pay homage to the martyred leader.
Later, the leaders laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum of the martyrs and offered Fateha.
Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026
