LARKANA, April 4: The prime minister’s refusal to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive about writing a letter to Swiss authorities amounted to disrespecting people’s rights, Ghinwa Bhutto, chief of the PPP-Shaheed Bhutto, said on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court has restored the nation’s faith in itself, Ghinwa Bhutto said, citing a number of decisions and actions taken by the apex court over the past few years.

“We want to see a pro-people parliament where real representatives of the poor sit,” she said in a speech at a function to mark the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Mian Nawaz Sharif, she added, had also shown disrespect to the superior court.

About relations with India, she said her party favoured trade links based on equality, but feared that the initiative would hit poor peasants hard.

Change could come about only after people rise up for their rights, the PPP-SB chief said.

She said an international conspiracy, coupled with a “conspiratorial ruling class”, led to the tragic end of Z.A. Bhutto.

Ghinwa Bhutto was critical of the Benazir Income Support Programme, likening it to a grain in a camel’s mouth.

She said the government had failed to protect life, honour and property, citing the kidnapping of Fazila Sarki of Thul and the murder of Salam Khokhar in Larkana.

Ameer Bakhsh Bhutto, vice chairman of the Sindh National Front, said the hanging of Z.A Bhutto had murdered hope and led to a number of tragedies.

Chaudhri Muneer Ahmed, president of Azad Kashmir PPP-SB, and party leader Seema Rafique also addressed the gathering.

Ms Ghinwa visited the Bhuttos’ mausoleum earlier during the day, laid wreaths and offered Fateha on the graves of Z.A. Bhutto, Begum Nusrat, Benazir Bhutto, Mir Murtaza and Shahnawaz Bhutto.

RESOLUTIONS: The gathering adopted nine resolutions, both of which condemned the US aggression and interference in the affairs of weaker countries.

It called for arrest of the elements responsible for corruption in rental power plants.

Through another resolution, the gathering called for implementing the Supreme Court verdict on the Karachi situation