30 th Death Anniversary of Z. A. Bhutto Observed in N. California
A Pakistan Link Report
PPP members observe the death anniversary of the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in N. California
Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) California solemnly observed the 30 th death anniversary of party founder Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in Concord on Sunday, April 5 at the residence of local PPP Secretary General Zahid Saif. As is customary at this annual gathering called by PPP (California) President Khuda Bux Bhutto, the generally somber mood in the backdrop of readings from the Holy Qur’an and special dua’s (prayers) for the many Bhuttos who have been assassinated either judicially or through other means including terrorism as in the case of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in 2007, the one constant is that sacrifices of the Bhutto family still translate into continued inspiration for party workers. And the PPP has a support base of workers and sympathizers that runs in the millions. The seriousness of the current crisis facing Pakistan was not overlooked at this gathering which was convened to gather state party leaders including party senior Dr. Malik Awan along with Zahid Saif, Ch. Mohammad Ashraf, Ch. Sohail Ahmed, Adnan Shafique, Khalil Ahmed, Ali Asghar, Javaid Mirza, Sultan Bhutto, M. Saghir, Najma Bhutto and Sabra Farooq. Pakistan has become a center of (negative) attention and extremism in all forms, but the PPP rallying cry of “Roti, Kapra, aur Makaan” (food, clothing and shelter) still holds true for increasingly impoverished Pakistanis today. On April 4, 1979 Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged in Rawalpindi by an unpopular dictator named Ziaul Haq and his group of henchmen who had turned the state’s judicial system into a tool to get rid of Pakistan’s popularly elected prime Minister. Thirty years later, millions of Pakistanis still mourn the passing of their leader Z.A. Bhutto and not surprisingly few remember General Zia today with any affection. The Pakistan People’s Party is still the largest national party in the country, with representation in all four provinces and in Azad Kashmir along with the Northern Areas. It is currently being led by President Asif Zardari, the widower of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The President made a very passionate speech at Garhi Khuda Baksh at the mausoleum of Z. A. Bhutto this year and called for national unity to fight extremism. The gathering in Concord expressed similar sentiments.
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