LARKANA, Feb 8: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that it is right time to embrace the estranged leaders who have distanced from the party under one or the other excuse.

In a telephonic address to a condolence meeting here in Jinnahbagh held on Friday, he said: “We want to build a Pakistan for young generation for which Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had dreamt of.” He said that the principles of Benazir Bhutto were dear to them and the people were the real owners of Pakistan. He vowed to strive for the rights of people as Benazir Bhutto had done it and she had laid her life in the mission.

“We have with us the outlines of the principles left by Benazir Bhutto, telling how to struggle and move forward for the democratic rule in the country for the downtrodden and oppressed people,” he said.

Mr Zardari said with her departure, people were desperately looking for wheat flour while government had bitterly failed to provide them clean drinking water.

He promised to accomplish the mission of Ms Benazir Bhutto and asked the people to continue the mission if he (Asif Zardari) was martyred.

He said that Larkana people were very much acquainted with Ms Benazir Bhutto and they loved her and they knew about the degree of commitment and devotions she had for democracy. He announced that he would live in Larkana and Naudero.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi talked of the challenges ahead as the opponents of PPP were out to develop dent in the party. Terming Ms Bhutto’s murder a deep conspiracy, he said the best revenge would be actively participating in the February 18 elections and stamping on arrow to defeat what he called the evil forces. He said that the fresh phase of three and half months of Ms Benazir Bhutto in politics after her return to Pakistan was marvellous for she, this time, was touching new horizons in the politics. She was not a common leader and she was gifted with the innate qualities of vision, wisdom, commitment, conviction and courage, he added.

Former leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, said those who spoke out truth were killed here even in the mountains of Balochistan. “We don’t have words to describe the potentialities and power Ms Benazir Bhutto had to mobilise masses’ he said and added her assassination had created a vacuum in our minds. She was torch-bearer and had always guided us even sitting thousands of miles away, he added. He asked people to be careful while exercising their right of franchise.

The condolence meeting was arranged by Mashooque Jatoi, President of Small Traders and Cottage Industry, Sindh chapter. Food was also distributed among the participants.