PESHAWAR, April 4: The Pakistan People’s Party has called upon the Arab states to use oil as weapon against the US and British forces which want to occupy oil-rich lands of the Middle East.

Speaking at the 24th death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the founding chairman of the PPP, here at party’s district office on Friday, Saeed Ahmed Khan, a founding member of the party, said the late ZAB was aware of the expansionist designs of the US and its allies and had advised the Arab rulers after the Arab-Israel war to hit the economic lifeline of the imperialist forces by annulling oil supply to them.

He paid rich tribute to the late Bhutto for his services to the poor masses, national solidarity and unity of Muslim countries.

Mr Khan spoke on the life and achievements of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and vowed to continue struggle for the restoration of real democracy and rights of people.

He said: “After 1971, credit goes to the late ZAB for putting Pakistan on democratic path, bringing a development-oriented social change in the country and restoring the image of Pakistan in the world.” Mr Bhutto, he said, was the pioneer of the country’s nuclear programme and champion of poor’s rights in Pakistan.

He said Mr Bhutto rallied the Arab rulers at one platform and told them that there was no match to the oil weapon. Mr Bhutto, he said, had realized much earlier that the US and its allies would trap the Arab rulers to ensure safe supply of oil. He urged them to set up an Islamic bank, an Islamic army and a united political forum to resist aggression, he added.

The present regime, he said, was following the US line as it had been a partner of the US in the genocide of Afghan people. Just a single phone call from Washington forced the rulers to abandon the Taliban, he added.

Mr Khan urged the government to withdraw all cases registered on political consideration against Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and other PPP leaders and transfer political power to the elected representatives.