rawalpindi - Local leaders and activists of Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday observed the 10th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto by gathering at her martyrdom monument in Liaquat Bagh and offered fateha for the departed soul.
Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun-and bomb attack in December 27, 2007 while leaving Liaquat Bagh after addressing a public gathering.
The PPP local chapter, however, failed in arranging an impressive show of power on the occasion. A large numbers of chairs remained empty while a handful of local leaders were present on the stage.
Early in the morning, the PPP Workers Group Chairperson Naheed Khan and local leader Ibn-e-Rizvi along with 50 to 60 activists gathered at the BB monument, held Quran khwani and offered fateh for the departed leader. Charity food was also distributed among the participants.
Addressing the small gathering, Naheed Khan said that BB shed her blood for revival of democracy and for bringing betterment in the lives of the poor and needy people of Pakistan. She said that the PPP government could not contest her murder case in courts. She also condemned release of five suspects held in connection with BB murder case. Naheed Khan urged the government to expose the hands involved in the murder of the first female premier of Pakistan and bring them to the book.
During the day, local leaders of PPP and activists kept visiting the monument, offered fateh and laid floral wreaths there. The assassination site as well as the roads leading to monument was decorated with party flags, portraits of founder of PPP Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, slain BB, her spouse Asif Ali Zardari and son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Some of the activists were carrying placards and banners written with popular PPP slogans. The local leaders and activists also showered rose petals on the monument.
The police made comprehensive security arrangements for the visitors by placing extra police force. All the roads leading to the BB monument were also blocked by traffic police. Diversions were also set up at Liaquat Bagh and traffic was diverted on alternative routes.
In the evening, PPP Divisional President Sardar Salim along with Raja Imran Ashraf (son of former PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf), Babar Sultan Jadoon, Chairman UC Ratta Amral, Malik Khalid Nawaz Bobby, local leader, Sibt-e-Hassan and Haji Gulzar Ahmed Awan, PPP Vice President of Division, arranged Quran Khawani and offered Fateh on monument of BB. As many as 500 PPP activists attended the ceremony.
Addressing the participants, the speakers paid tributes to the sacrifices rendered by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and her daughter Benazir Bhutto for cause of democracy in the country. They said that BB always raised voice in favour of public and spoke against the status quo.
They said that the government had failed in solving problems of the masses.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Raja Nazir Ahmed along with a few workers also visited the monument and paid tribute to the martyred leaders including BB.
A huge division in the PPP city chapter was seen as every leader organised his/her programme separately with less number of workers attending,” said a PPP leader while talking to The Nation. He said that the absence of senior party leaders in Liaquat Bagh was another big reason for a failed show of power on the day BB was assassinated in Rawalpindi.
He said that during the last week, several meetings were held to review arrangements for the public gathering but the result was zero. “Despite tall claims made by local leaders, they could not pull out Jiyalas from their houses,” said another local party leader. He said that senior leadership of the party went Garhi Khuda Baksh to attend the main ceremony.