| JUI-F chief invited to Larkana rally  | Zardari pays glowing tributes to Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his birth anniversary

ISLAMABAD   -  Former President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday discussed opposition’s anti-government movement with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Zardari also invited the JUI-F chief, who also heads the Pakistan Democratic Movement, to attend the death anniversary event of Benazir Bhutto in Larkana on December 27.

Both the leaders also discussed the overall political situation and future strategy for the campaign against the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf-led government, said a PPP statement.

Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had invited Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice President Maryam Nawaz to attend his mother’s death anniversary event at Garhi Khuda Buksh, earlier this month, which was accepted by her. Meanwhile, Asif Ali Zardari has paid glowing tributes to Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his birth anniversary.

In a message on Quaid’s birthday, Zardari said that Quaid-e-Azam was not only an imminent lawyer of the sub-continent but also a politician and progressive leader who demanded and created a separate country for the Muslims of the Sub-Continent.

“It is unfortunate that after death of the father of the nation his principles were violated. Democracy and politics were vilified. Tragedy of East Pakistan was a result of injustices of the federation,” he said. 

Zardari said that the time had come to implement 18th amendment in its letter and spirit to make provinces sovereign. The provinces should get their due share in the NFC award. 

He said that unity of political forces is in working together within the PDM so that the constitution and the parliament are regarded as supreme. 

Separately, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari extended Christmas greetings to the Christian community in Pakistan and the world over, on the eve of the auspicious festival.

In his felicitation message, the PPP Chairman eulogised the role of Christians and other minority communities in the development of the country and assured them that their rights as equal citizens of Pakistan as enshrined in the Constitution, will always be protected.

Bilawal said that his party was the true follower and inheritor of the ideology of Pakistan as envisaged by the Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. 

“PPP has always taken steps for political, social, and economic rights of the minorities and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto established a full-fledged Minority Affairs Department and, following her vision, gave representation to the non-Muslim population in the Senate of Pakistan for the first time,” he added.  

He appealed to the Christian community to hold special prayers for strengthening democracy, peace, and prosperity in Pakistan, for the establishment of an egalitarian society.