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Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Islamabad/Karachi/Lahore, 3 April 2024: President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari has said that the judicial killing of the first directly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was in fact a heinous conspiracy against the freedom, independence and sovereignty of Pakistan. 

President Zardari in his message on the 45th anniversary of the martyrdom of the founder of Pakistan Peoples Party Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said that he loved his homeland and its people. He rebuilt Pakistan as a prestigious country among the comity of nations and taught the people to live with pride. He taught the people to speak up for their rights and to hold their heads high. Quaid-e-Awam was the one who wanted Pakistan to be a nuclear country so that we could become a developed nation with regard to health, energy and agriculture. Pakistan was on the track of prosperity and the aim of his judicial murder was to hinder the country’s progress. 

President Asif Ali Zardari said that Quaid-e-Awam’s love for the country and its people is our legacy. The mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was to keep alive the philosophy of the Quaid-e-Awam and the hope for the downtrodden masses of the country. The same philosophy and mission are in the strong hands of the young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The Pakistan Peoples Party will fulfil that mission and every dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. 

President Zardari said that it is a miracle of history that Quaid-e-Awam is the undisputed leader of the nation today. The courage to talk to the rulers of the world on equal terms is only in the political successors of the great leader Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed the resolve to fight for the progress of Pakistan and prosperity of the people without fear or hesitation. 

President Asif Ali Zardari said that the rebuilding of the country after war was done by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This land is sacred to us and we will turn it into a paradise. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has proved his leadership qualities and acumen and under his leadership, Pakistan will once again progress and prosper, President Zardari concluded.

Parliament asked to walk the talk

Islamabad March 26, 2024: Whimsical and arbitrary shutdown of internet and a self serving state narrative of 5-G in the name of fake news have done incalculable damage to state and society requiring collective work by political parties, media and civil society to address them.

This was stated by President Human Rights Cell of PPP senator Farhatullah Babar at HRCP seminar on the right to freedom of online expression in Islamabad Tuesday afternoon.

Internet shut down on Feb 8 led people to believe that polls were manipulated and it plunged the country into one of its deepest political crises. Earlier repeated shutdowns to prevent an opposition political party from reaching out to its voters resulted in a shutdown of economic activities, banking and educational instructions to students, he said..

Much has been said about fake news and the so-called 5-G war to justify restrictions on people’s right to know. Fake news is a grim reality that needs to be tackled with seriousness but investigations must also be made into how mysterious state elements were also involved in what the Supreme Court has described as “nebulous tactics” in its verdict in the Faizabad dharna case.

He said that sometime back fake wikileaks were planted in national newspapers praising some Pak army generals and demonizing that of India. The fraud was however unearthed by a foreign newspaper, but no one knows who was behind planting fake Wikileaks.

Similarly, in April 2019, Facebook removed over one hundred pages, groups and accounts that were part of a network linked to employees of an official institution. Facebook said that although the people behind it tried to conceal their identities, its investigation unearthed their  links.

There have also been mysterious audio/video leaks recently demonizing politicians and no one knows who was behind it. Instead a senior government functionary told the court that hacking of phones was a common technology accessible to anyone. We should beware of fake news planted whether by individuals or by the state itself, he said.

Yet a number of journalists and activists critical of state policies are made to endure coercive procedures under PECA law as in the case of Asad Toor ostensibly to fix fake news.

Like most other things allegations of poll rigging, the cipher case and the May 9 incident also are internet based. At the start of the session of the new National Assembly political leaders vowed to hold judicial investigations into these incidents lying at the root of current instability.

The Parliament should now walk the talk, he said.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the barbaric act of terrorism in Besham. 

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the death of Chinese residents in the suicide attack. The planners and facilitators involved in terrorism in Besham should be exposed and punished severely. 

Chairman PPP extended condolences to the government of China for the death of Chinese citizens. He extended sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims in the Besham attack. 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and said that the culprits of the Besham incident cannot escape punishment

President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari in his message on the occasion of Holi extended felicitations to the Hindu community. 

The festival of Holi is symbolic of the triumph of good over evil, President Asif Ali Zardari said. The services rendered for Pakistan by its Hindu community are commendable. 

President Asif Ali Zardari said that the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees religious freedom. Pakistan is a beautiful bouquet of people belonging to all religions. 

The people of the country can reach unprecedented heights and prosperity through unity and make Pakistan’s name shine bright on the map of the world, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party and the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned terrorism in Moscow. 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the killing of innocent people. He extended sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Russia. 

The people of Pakistan share the grief of the people of Russia in this devastating tragedy, Chairman PPP  said. The world would have to come to one page regarding terrorism and combat it unitedly, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari resolved.

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has paid glowing tribute to the Madar-e-Jamhooriat Begum Nusrat Bhutto, on the occasion of her 95th birth anniversary.

According to the press release issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, Chairman PPP said that late Begum Nusrat Bhutto epitomized nobility and unwavering dedication to the cause of democracy. Her life stands as a testament to patience, perseverance, and boundless sacrifices for the betterment of the nation. “In her unwavering quest for justice and the rights of the Pakistani people, Begum Bhutto endured incomprehensible personal losses, including the tragic sacrifices of her beloved husband and three cherished children: Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto, and Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto,” he added.

Chairman PPP said that Madar-e-Jamhooriat’s legacy remains a timeless fountain of inspiration, symbolizing the resolve and bravery needed to confront injustice and oppression. “On this solemn occasion,” he urged, “let us reaffirm our dedication to the principles and values upheld by Begum Nusrat Bhutto as we steadfastly pursue a democratic and progressive Pakistan.”

President Human Rights Cell PPP former Senator Farhatullah Babar has issued the following statement today:

The silence by the Finance Ministry to the suggestions repeatedly being floated in the media to reduce the share of provinces in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award is intriguing and calls for a firm rejoinder to dispel any misgivings in the provinces.

The desire to rollback NFC is rolling back 18^th Constitutional Amendment and provincial autonomy has been the dream of undemocratic elements and centrists in the country for long.

The government needs to come out clean and declare in categorical terms that the provincial autonomy guaranteed will not be compromised.

The centrists accuse the provinces of ‘wasteful ‘expenditures claiming that there has been over four fold increase in their payroll expense while turning a blind eye to the profligate expenses of the federal government itself.

Since 2011 pensions and superannuation allowances of the federal government have increased by nearly seven fold. Today Rs 563 billion in military pensions and Rs 188 billion in civil pensions marks a phenomenal increase in federal government’s allocation under the head of pensions alone over the last 12 years.

There has also been an over 8 fold increase in the expenses of the executive and legislative branches of the federal government in addition to a similar increase in its current account expenditure during this period.

The NFC Award is not the cause of the federal government’s financial woes.

The real issues are the failure of the federal government to reform taxation policies, insistence on running ministries already devolved to provinces, inability to rationalize defence expenditure by cutting non combat expenditure and failure to prevent the massive transfer of resources to the elite.

The centrists should heed the UN report that privileges grabbed by the power elite exceed 17 billion dollars a year or six percent of the economy. They should call for putting the centre’s house in order rather than seeking to deprive the provinces of their rights.

President Human Rights Cell PPP ex Senator Farhatullah Babar has issued the following statement today.

The admission, before Sindh High Court after a month long denial, by the interior ministry that it had blocked the social media platform “X” on the advice of the intelligence agencies represents a dangerous model of governance in which a security paranoid establishment takes decisions without accountability and without regard to economy, education and democratic right of expression.

Likewise the statement made by the PTA chief before the court that his organization was in a state of “confusion” amounts to adding insult to injury. What confusion is there when the interior ministry itself acknowledged that it ordered suspension of “X” on February 17?

The suspension was ordered soon after a senior bureaucrat in Rawalpindi made startling allegations against the chief election commissioner and the top judge for manipulating Feb 8 elections.

This raises the troubling question that while “X” was blocked, neither the allegation by the senior bureaucrat investigated nor was he prosecuted- Why?

Secondly if no one took responsibility for the whole one month for blocking “X” what confusion the PTA had in mind that prevented it from restoring the social media platform on its own?

Even while in the meantime several orders were passed by the Sindh High Court the PTA did not restore “X”. Did the PTA chief assume that given his background of previous service in another institution he could flout court orders with impunity?

The interior ministry’s admission came a few days after the federal information minister acknowledged that “X” was already blocked during the caretaker set up and that there was no notification for the clampdown.  This begs the question that if Mr. Attaullah Tarar did not find any notification blocking “X” why the government failed to investigate the blocking of social media platform?

The ‘confused’ PTA has been denying all along that blockage was even in place. It owes an explanation.  It must come out clean.

 A major shakeup of the organization is called for and the platform “X” must be restored immediately.

Chairman, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the terrorist attack targeting the Gwadar Port Authority Complex (GPA Complex) and emphasized that the Pakistani nation will resist and respond  terrorism in all its manifestations with full force.

According to the press release issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP Chairman said that these cowardly acts of violence aim to undermine the stability and development of Pakistan. However, he emphasized that the nation refuses to succumb to intimidation or demoralization in the face of such heinous acts. “Instead,” he added, “we draw strength from our unity and determination to forge a peaceful and prosperous future for all Pakistanis.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari paid tribute to the brave officers and Jawans who thwarted the attack on the GPA complex. “We reaffirm our unwavering support for our security forces who are tirelessly combating these extremist elements,” he added.

PPP Chairman reiterated that his party has always maintained a resolute stance against terrorism, affirming that together, we will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of Lieutenant Colonel Kashif and fellow soldiers.

Chairman PPP said that the nurseries of terrorism must be destroyed by implementing the National Action Plan in letter and spirit. The killers of the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army are the enemies of the nation and must not be pardoned. 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari extended heartfelt condolences to the families of Lt. Col. Kashif Shaheed and other martyrs. The nation will never forget its brave sons. These enemies must be punished to give justice to the departed souls, the Chairman PPP concluded.