9th death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir today

RECORDER REPORT

GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH: The 9th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto is being observed today(Tuesday).To mark the day, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will hold a public meeting at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

In order to mark the day with due respect, a number of events have planned throughout the country. Foolproof security arrangements have been made on the occasion. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and also by Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and other family members of Bhutto family will lay floral wreaths at the Mazar of Benazir Bhutto and otherPPP leaders and workers will join the gathering from nook and corners of the country.

The PPP has decided to organise a big public meeting on December 27, at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to pay tribute to the great leader in recognition of her life-long struggle for the cause of democracy and protection of rights of the people. The meeting will be addressed by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and also by Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari who has especially flown back home to attend the death anniversary. Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will make important announcements at the public meeting about future course of direction of PPP politics.

The Sindh government has made special security arrangements and effective arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on all important roads in Sindh because convoys would be coming from all over the country to attend the death anniversary. Entry to Mazar of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Larkana would only be allowed after passage through walk-through gates and checking with metal detectors. In this regard, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has held several meetings to ensure hassle free observance of the death anniversary.

Benazir Bhutto's was assassinated on December 27, 2007 as she led a rally in Rawalpindi. She is buried in the magnificent white Garhi Khuda Bukhsh mausoleum along with her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In a statement on the eve of the death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said: "Today we pay homage to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for her vision about Pakistan as a modern and progressive state and for her commitment to fight armed religious fanatics from hijacking the state and society away from her vision".

"She knew well that the hounds of extremism and religious fanaticism were out to remove her from her path. She also had the choice to opt for an easy path and not resist the fanatics. But she had a dream and a vision for the people of Pakistan. For the realisation of this dream she laid down her life while leading the fight from the front," Zardari said.

"The Party is proud of its inspirational leaders. Let there be no doubt or mistake in the minds of those who are scheming against the Party with a malice that is floating on the surface for everyone to see. They will not be allowed to succeed no matter what the cost and what the odds," the PPP co Chairman said.

He said on this occasion "we salute Shaheed Mohtarma Benzir Bhutto and all those who laid down their lives in fighting for upholding the values of democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law," he said. "If militants have not succeeded in their designs it is because of their sacrifices; we salute them all," he said.

"The Party will fight the barbarians seeking to take over the state and install what they call caliphate. Their agenda is no different from that of Daesh in Iraq and Syria, Al-Shabbab in Kenya and Boko Haram in Nigeria. We also pay homage to those fighting the militants as well those who suffered exile, imprisonment and execution in fighting dictatorship," he said.