ISLAMABAD - Former President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said that democracy which was restored after sacrifices of hundreds of martyrs was once again under threat.
Zardari paid tributes to the martyrs of Karsaz tragedy in Karachi in a message on anniversary of the attack.
On October 18, 2007, the ‘caravan of democracy’ led by Benazir Bhutto was attacked at Karsaz but hundreds of loyal democrats saved their leader, losing their own lives.
The former president said that because of the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs, democracy was restored in the country and dictatorship was defeated. “Today is the day to pay tributes to those martyrs who defeated the extremists and terrorists' design. It also showed that terrorists and extremists are the enemies of the nation. More than three million people came to welcome their leader on the roads of Karachi on that day and displayed that they support the ideology of Quaid-e-Azam, Quaid-e-Awam (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) and Benazir Bhutto as they wanted Pakistan to be a democratic, peaceful and prosperous country,” he said.
The former President said that the PPP government during 2008-2013 restored the 1973 constitution; made the Parliament supreme; provinces were given sovereignty and people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan were given identity. Zardari expressed his resolve to defend Parliament elected by the people of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also paid tributes to the martyrs of October 18 Karsaz massacre when terrorists bombed people gathered to receive Benazir Bhutto in Karachi.
On the 11th anniversary of 180 martyrs, the PPP Chairman said that the PPP had crossed rivers of blood during its valiant struggle for restoration and strengthening of democracy.
Bilawal said that dictatorship and terrorists joined hands in conspiring and executing the terror bombing on the truck carrying Benazir Bhutto and central leadership of the Party in the midst of millions of people.
The PPP Chairman said that Benazir Bhutto continued to challenge dictatorship and terrorists even after the Karsaz attack and eventually laid down her life on December 27, 2007.
Bilawal said that PPP leadership and workers would always remember the martyrs who sacrificed their lives fighting dictators and terrorists bravely.
INP adds: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Wednesday that the government is exerting pressure on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"We can clearly see the pressure being exerted by the government on the anti-graft body to work slowly,” Bilawal said while speaking to the media upon arrival at the Parliament House.
"Prime Minister Imran Khan threatens NAB in Press conferences," he added. “Government should let the accountability administrations work freely," the PPP Chairman stressed.
Bilawal further said, “Hunger and poverty are threats to establishing peaceful ties with the international community. The PPP took revolutionary steps to eradicate hunger.”
The PPP chairman added, “Benazir Income Support Programme was established under Asif Ali Zardari and we took steps under the social production net to make the public’s life better.”
“Sindh government in collaboration with the non-government organisations set up programmes to eradicate hunger. Under this programme, women are being given interest-free loans and more than 600,000 families have come out of poverty,” he added.
