KARACHI – The Ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has finalised preparations for the 32nd death anniversary the party’s founder, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, scheduled on Monday (April 4) in Naudero, the native town of the Bhuttos in Larkana district. Party activists and leaders from across the country have started arriving there. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, who is also provincial president of the party, also reached there on Saturday to supervise the programme, including security arrangements. President Asif Ali Zardari, also co-chairman of the party, and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani are also expected to be there.
All central leaders and federal and provincial ministers of the party and the speakers of the National and Sindh assemblies would be there as well. “Over one million people gather in Naudero every year on the occasion. The party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) also meets every April 3 there since Benazir Bhutto was alive,” said Latif Mughal, a party leader. Political observers as well party’s leaders are giving a great deal of importance to the gathering this year because of the current political situation when the party’s government is facing different problems on political grounds, especially the latest confrontation-like situation between the executive and the judiciary.
The party’s leadership from Sindh has already shown “moral support” towards two of the party’s leaders, Taj Haider and Sharjeel Memon, by reaching Islamabad for the Supreme Court’s contempt of court proceedings against the two party leaders over their reaction on the apex court’s verdict on former NAB chairman Deedar Hussain Shah. At the same time, the government has also already finalised its arrangements to knock doors of the Supreme Court for the reopening of the ZA Bhutto’s “judicial murder” case. Federal Law Minister Babar Awan has given the nod to the Federal Law Ministry to file a reference signed by the President Asif Ali Zardari for this purpose.
The party’s leaders in Sindh are also expecting that Interior Minister Rehman Malik would present the final investigation report of Benazir Bhutto’s murder case at the CEC meeting of the party, although a senior leader has said that this has not been decided yet. Malik had to present the report during the last CEC meeting held on Benazir Bhutto’s third death anniversary in Naudero, but the move was deferred.
It is also expected that President Asif Ali Zardari would speak on the occasion and his address would be important keeping in view the current political situation.
It is, however, not clear whether his address would be held inside the Naudero House or at a public meeting in front of Bhutto’s mausoleum.
Some PPP leaders in Sindh say that it could be held inside the Naudero House due to security concerns.