46th death anniversary of former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto observed today

Karachi: The 46th death anniversary of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founding chairman and former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is being observed today.

Former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged in Rawalpindi on this day in 1979.

The Supreme Court had ruled in March last year that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial in the case was not fair.

Today is a public holiday across Sindh on the occasion of the 46th death anniversary of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

President Asif Ali Zardari’s message

In his statement issued on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, President Zardari said that Shaheed Bhutto was a great strategist, courageous leader, and a true representative of the people. We pay tribute to his services, struggles, and sacrifices.

President Asif Zardari said that Shaheed Bhutto led Pakistan on the path of development, independence, and public welfare, gave it the first unanimous constitution, laid the foundation for Pakistan's nuclear program, and gave foreign policy an independent and autonomous identity.

A look at Bhutto’s life

A fiery orator and all-rounder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born on January 5, 1928, in Larkana. He studied law in California and Oxford. In 1963, he became the Foreign Minister in General Ayub Khan's cabinet and later separated from the government due to political differences.

Later, together with progressive friends, he founded the Pakistan People's Party on November 30, 1967, which became the most popular party in the country due to its ideology.

In the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto raised the slogan of bread, cloth, and house. However, when he took power after winning the elections, the country was divided, due to which he served as a civilian martial law administrator and then as the President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973, while he was the elected Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the country a unified constitution, laid the foundation for lasting peace by signing the Simla Agreement with India, and liberated thousands of square miles of land and prisoners of war from India.

During Bhutto's era, several steps were taken for the rights of the oppressed classes, however, as a result of alleged internal and external conspiracies, General Zia-ul-Haq overthrew the elected government and tried him on charges of murder and hanged him on April 4, 1979.

After Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his political thought was carried forward by his daughter Benazir Bhutto, and after her martyrdom, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is now striving to carry forward his grandfather's political mission.