LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party today [Dec 28] announced the candidature of its Chairman, Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, for the next Presidential election. The announcement was made by the Acting Chairman of the Party, Mr J.A. Rahim, while addressing the District Bar Association. Also present at the meeting were the leaders and workers of the party.

Mr Rahim said the People’s Party had decided to contest the elections before Mr Bhutto was imprisoned. “The decision was in conformity with the party’s policy to fight the regime on every occasion and with all legal means available,” he said. After taking the decision, Mr Rahim said, his party would only be exhibiting an inexcusable logical inconsistency if it did not also envisa­­ge the replacement of the present Head of State by another person elected by the people.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Hong Kong,] China today [Dec 28] announced that she has successfully carried out her second hydrogen bomb test. The test was carried out over the west region of the country yesterday. ... The United States Atomic Energy Commission, which detected the blast yesterday, said the detonation had a yield of about three megatons, about the same as the first Chinese H-bomb tested on June 15, 1967...

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2018