LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) celebrated its slain chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s 66th birth anniversary by holding cake-cutting ceremonies at various points in the city on Friday.

Opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly also used the occasion to show their unity as PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz joined one such ceremony at PPP parliamentary leader Hassan Murtaza’s chamber at the assembly secretariat.

Other events were organized at the party’s provincial secretariat in Model Town, Lahore general secretary Israr Butt’s residence and at district courts complex.

PML-N lawmakers Azma Zahid Bukhari, Samiullah Khan, Waris Kallu, Sania Ashiq and Tahir Khalil Sindhu also accompanied Hamza Shahbaz at the assembly event, hosted by Mr Murtaza, Ali Haider Gilani, Shazia Abid and others.

Thanking the opposition leader for joining the cake-cutting ceremony, Mr Murtaza said they had always been in favour of adopting a joint opposition policy on various national affairs and would try to move forward in the company of the PML-N as per direction of the Bibi Shaheed.

Mr Shahbaz commended Ms Bhutto for her bravery, saying she continued contacting and serving the masses though she knew that death was after her since the Karsaz bombing.

“The Bibi Shaheed continued serving the nation despite all threats and risks and at last laid her life for the cause.”The Model Town and district courts events were attended by Chaudhry Manzoor, Aslam Gill, Samina Ghurki, Azizur Rehman Chan, Israr Butt, PSF leader Musa Khokhar, Ashraf Bhatti and others.

Various speakers said on the occasion that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not harass party workers as they had been trained by Ms Bhutto.

They said the party cadre would continue the mission of their slain chairperson and won’t be frightened by the arrest of various leaders by NAB and other government agencies.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2019