Naudero all set to pay homage to Benazir Bhutto

• Zardari, Bilawal, Khursheed, Ayaz remember slain premier as visionary leader

• Security beefed up in Garhi Khuda Bux

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq have paid glowing tribute to the slain premier Benazir Bhutto on her 10th Martyrdom Anniversary to be held on Wednesday.

To pay tribute to the slain leader, the PPP has finalised arrangements to observe the death anniversary in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, where Bhutto family’s ancestral graveyard lies.

The party will start function at 1.00 PM. Subsequently, there will be a public meeting which will be addressed by the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, party leaders Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and PPP central leaders.

A documentary, depicting life and achievements of Benazir Bhutto will also be screened on the occasion. A mushaira has also been scheduled outside the mausoleum of Benazir in the afternoon.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, expecting a huge turnout of party loyalists, said: “The party has finalised arrangements for the congregation, where a million men, women and children are expected to gather to pay tributes to the first Muslim woman elected as the prime minister.”

In order to accommodate the party workers coming from all over the country, separate camps have been set-up by the local leadership, along with the reception camps. The leaders of the PPP and workers have already started reaching Garhi Khuda Bux.

BENZAIR DIED FOR PROGRESSIVE PAKISTAN:

Recollecting the achievements of the former premier, who was assassinated on Dec 27, 2007 at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, Asif Zardari said, “Today we pay homage to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for her vision about Pakistan as a modern and progressive state and for her commitment to fighting armed religious fanatics from hijacking the state and society in the name of religion.”

“She knew full well that the hounds of extremism and religious fanaticism were out to remove her from their path. She also had the choice to opt for an easy path and not to resist the fanatics, but for the realization of progress Pakistan she laid down her life. Today we pay homage to her with our heads bowed in gratitude,” said the former president and her husband.

He further said, “Such is the stuff of which the leaders and workers of the PPP are made of.” The party will fight the barbarians seeking to take over the state and install what they call caliphate. Their agenda is no different from that of ISIS Iraq and Syria, Al-Shabab in Kenya, and Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

BILAWAL PAYS HOMAGE TO BENAZIR:

The PPP chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said, “Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto laid down her life for the transformation of the country into an egalitarian, democratic, peaceful and progressive Pakistan.”

Bilawal said that those who killed Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had actually planned to kill the whole nation but then-president Asif Ali Zardari saved the country by raising “Pakistan Khappay” slogan after her assassination in Rawalpindi.

He said that Benazir Bhutto lost her father, brothers and even mother fighting for the rights of downtrodden masses. In her valiant battle against the forces of darkness and elements of dictatorships, she eventually embraced martyrdom in line with the legacy of her father Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but refused to withdraw from the cause, Bilawal recalled.

GREAT SACRIFICE FOR DEMOCRACY:

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said the day of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary was a sign of “great sacrifice for democracy”.

In a statement, he said the history could not forget the sacrifices of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for the sake of democracy.

Khursheed Shah said the nation and the history were witnesses that the leadership of PPP and its workers had not only planted the seed of democracy but it had grown by giving matchless sacrifices.

He said by following the vision of  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir brought social and economic stability in the country during her tenures which would keep on benefiting the masses in the future too.

He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his brave daughter Benazir eliminated the atrocious dictatorship from the country.

“Our brave leader, in a disappointing situation, gave the confidence to the nation and brought them out in the light of democracy from the abasing darkness of dictatorship,” Khursheed Shah said.

He said, “We are proud to be the followers of Zulfikar and Benazir Bhutto as they have taught us the difference between the democracy and autocracy properly.  Therefore, we will ensure an independent and strong democracy in the country at all costs.”

“We pay tribute to Benazir on her death anniversary and pledge to follow her golden principles of democracy throughout our lives,” he added.

AYAZ SADIQ REMEMBERS VISIONARY LEADER:

NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto was a stateswoman and a visionary political leader. She had achieved a unique status in Pakistani politics due to her extraordinary intelligence, tireless efforts and bold style of politics.

Paying homage to the former premier, he said that she had the courage to challenge the worst dictatorship of the times. Pakistani political leaders remembered her as a leader who gave voice to the downtrodden and worked for the national unity, he added.

The Speaker recalled the day of her assassination as a ‘sad chapter in the political history of the country’. He said that Mohtarama strongly believed in reconciliation and forbearance.

SECURITY IN GARHI KHUDA BUX:

Meanwhile, Larkana Deputy Commissioner Kashif Ali Tipu and SSP Tanvir Hussain Tunio told reporters that special security and traffic arrangement will be made on the occasion.

They said over 7, 000 thousand police personnel, including women police, Traffic police, special police commandos of the Sindh Police and three hundred personnel of Shahbaz Rangers will also be deployed to ensure the law and order on the occasion.

The SSP further said that senior rank officers will supervise and monitor the activities in Garhi Khuda Bux and Naudero vicinities. An aerial surveillance at the surrounding the Naudero and Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto will be carried out to monitor the activities, besides CCTV cameras will be installed at the different locations of Bhutto House Naudero, Garhi Khuda Bux and surrounding of the venue.

On the occasion, a bomb disposal squad, bomb detectors, scanning machines, jammers, snapper’s dogs, watchtowers, 60 walk-through gates with police vehicles and mobile will be set up for the security purpose.