Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said that on July 5 a dictator overthrew an elected prime minister and later executed him.
“Zia decimated the constitution, privatised jihad, exploiting religion and fanned sectarianism for his own political agenda and to cement his control on the country. Decades later his ill-conceived policies still haunt us,” Zardari said.
Speaking on the 38th anniversary of the takeover of an elected government by General Ziaul Haq, Zardari said that July 5, 1977 was a dark day in the history of Pakistan. He further opined that it was the start of an era when Bonaparte’s of Pakistan put Pakistan on a road leading to disaster and self annihilation.
During the decades since the exit of the dictator the democratic forces have rebound and restored the 1973 Constitution unanimously. However, the mindset of religious extremism, privatized jihad and sectarianism which the dictator’s polices spawned continue to haunt Pakistan, he stated.
Zardari said that the masses have consistently refused to be suppressed by brute force and have always bounced back to seize their democratic rights from dictators. He further remarked that the people should collectively fight to finish the pernicious mindset of religious fanaticism and extremism.
On this day we reiterate our resolve that Pakistan will have to be a democratic, pluralistic and a moderate country in which there is no place for religious extremism, militancy and sectarianism, he said.
Zardari said that this day should be a reminder that the people of Pakistan will have to be vigilant and decide that the dictators and usurpers of people’s rights and freedoms must be punished.
The PPP co-chairman also paid homage to the martyrs of democracy. “On this day my thoughts also go to those martyrs of democracy who suffered and sacrificed during that black period of our national history”.
He also paid homage to the security forces and civilians who have laid down their lives and suffered in the fight against extremism and militants.
