KARACHI  -  Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, paying tribute to Shaheed Mohtar­ma Benazir Bhutto, the first elected woman prime minister of the Islamic world, said that her stead­fast leadership was still ingrained in the hearts and minds of the nation. Being the “Daughter of the East” she stood not only as a historical figure but as a living movement, with her nationalistic spirit, and enduring struggle, which ultimately transformed the country into a welfare state. The Chairman of PPP sharing a message on the occasion of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s 16th martyrdom an­niversary due on Wednesday, said that throughout her lifetime, Bibi Shaheed bound together Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan like a harmonious chain. “Her tragic assassination was a strategically targeting the momentum of advancement and the realization of Pakistan’s vision for enlightened moderation and a democratic society,” he added. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that on the one hand, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, as the PPP chairperson, took the ideology of the Quaid-e-Awam and his par­ty to new heights through her philosophy and un­paralleled struggle, while as a political leader she always represented the real populace by becoming the voice of the common man and the downtrod­den classes of the country. “On the other hand, as Prime Minister, where she strengthened the na­tional defense by giving the gift of ballistic missile technology, there she protected the rights and took far-reaching measures ensuring the welfare and development of the country’s salaried class, farm­ers, workers, minorities, women, children and the elderly,” he added. Expressing unwavering dedica­tion, he affirmed that his party staunchly upholds the cherished philosophy of its martyred leader­ship, saying: “PPP is determined to make the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto a reality, that Pakistan should be the model of excellence for the world as a prosperous, progressive, egalitarian and strong democratic federal state.”