ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan People’s Party chief Bila­wal Bhutto Zardari yesterday said that the party and the nation were still fighting for democracy against the dictatorial mindset.

“Today marks the 45th anniver­sary of Ziaul Haq’s coup on Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government. Forty-five years ago on this day, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan was oust­ed. Ziaul Haq’s regime birthed the extremist and Kalashnikov culture in the country,” he tweeted as the PPP marked ‘black day’ to reject the 1977 toppling of the PPP-led government.

The PPP chairman said: “July 5, 1977, is the darkest day in Paki­stan’s history. The people of Paki­stan fought against Ziaul Haq’s fas­cist regime steadfastly. The country has not still recovered from the damaged Ziaul Haq caused during his 11-year-long unconstitution­al regime,” he added. Separately, Federal Minister and Central In­formation Secretary of the PPP Parliamentarian Shazia Atta Marri has termed July 5, 1977 the most shameful and darkest day in the history of Pakistan. She said that July 5, 1977 was the darkest day in the history of Pakistan whose devastating effects have caused ir­reparable damage to Pakistan.

Shazia Marri added that on this day, the worst dictator Ziaul Haq ousted the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and he altered Pakistan’s political fabric by over­throwing and arresting ruling Prime Minster but he couldn’t remove Bhutto’s thoughts and ideology from the hearts and minds of peoples.

Meanwhile, PPP Central Secretary Information Faisal Karim Kundi said that PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari re­moved Imran Khan as the Prime Min­ister as the country was “sinking.”