Islamabad: The Pakistan Peoples Party yesterday staged a rally here to pay tributes to the martyrs of Karsaz tragedy as it called for across the board accountability. Senator Farhatullah, Senator Rubina Khalid, Senator Sehar Kamran, Nargis Faiz Malik and Nazir Dhoki addressed the participants at the rally organised in front of National Press Club. In his speech Senator Farhatullah Babar said accountability should be conducted across the board and by selective accountability democracy will be harmed, adding the PPP will protect democracy at all costs. Senator Babar said Benazir Bhutto had returned back to country from exile to fight dictatorship and terrorism.
The PPP observes the day every year to pay tributes and homage to those who sacrificed their lives in the twin blasts in Karachi. More than 175 people were killed and scores of others were wounded when terror struck the welcome party of Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming in 2007. Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan on October 18, 2007 after an exile of nine years. She was welcomed into the country with a horrifying explosion. Eight years have passed but the people behind the attack are still at large.
Addressing the rally, Senator Rubina Khalid said the workers of PPP have always been at the forefront in struggle to strengthen democratic system. She said the PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto fought against the dictatorship of General Ayub Khan and his daughter Benazir Bhutto struggled against General Ziaul Haq’s rule. Senator Rubina Khalid said the PPP worked to formulate a constitution for the country with consensus. She said after the successful “Simla Treaty” signed with the Indian Premier Indira Gandhi, Bhutto brought back 93,000 prisoners of war and secured 5,000 square miles of land, occupied by India during the war of 1971.
The PPP leader said Bhutto laid the foundation to make Pakistan a nuclear power. Senator Rubina Khalid said Bhutto provided voice to the voiceless, and rights to the dispossessed. In his speech Nazir Dhoki said perhaps the greatest victim of terrorism was the Bhutto family and the PPP. He said the “murder” of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto persists to be the most sinister chapter in the narration of Pakistan. The participants of the rally raised slogans in favour of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.