KARACHI, Jan 4: The Pakistan People’s Party will celebrate the 79th birth anniversary of its founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on January 5 (Thursday). In Sindh, the main function has been organised in Larkana city where Syed Qaim Ali Shah will be the chief guest. He and other PPP leaders, including Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Aftab Shaban Mirani will address the gathering, according to the party’s Deputy Information Secretary in Sindh, Waqar Mehdi.

The Karachi chapter of PPP has organised a function at the People’s Secretariat, near Mazar-i-Quaid, at 3pm where the main speaker will be Mian Raza Rabbani, the party’s deputy secretary general. A birthday cake will be cut by local prominent leaders at a ceremony during the function.

Meanwhile, PPP Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah, in his message on the occasion, paid rich tributes to the services rendered by Z. A. Bhutto to the countrymen, and said that the late Bhutto had devoted his entire life to the continuous struggle and service to the country and the nation.

Recalling various phases of the struggle, Mr Shah said he had revolted against dictatorship and launched a vigorous campaign for democracy during which had had to suffer excesses and hardships of imprisonment. Mr Bhutto founded the party in 1967 and created political consciousness in ordinary man encouraging people to stand up and snatch their legitimate rights if denied by dictators.

“Today, Pakistan is a nuclear power only because of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who had laid the foundation of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and refused to compromise on national security even at the cost of his life.”

He said that Ms Benazir Bhutto, who was following in the footsteps of her late father, was also striving against dictatorship.