Munawar Anjum
The first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan – charismatic Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had rendered unprecedented and matchless services for the country and nation during a short span of life, which, in fact, changed the course of life of the people.
Let’s on the 42nd death anniversary Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, we pay glowing homage to the great leader by enumerating some of his great feats changed life of the common man for better.
Having a charismatic and versatile personality, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made Pakistan a nuclear power and gave the motherland the first unanimous democratic Islamic constitution, besides getting released more than 90,000 Pakistani military officers and personnel from Indian prisons. He gave slums rights to poor and helpless families.
To convene a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Pakistan to give ownership, promote unity and solidarity among the Islamic world and turn it into a world power, Bhutto invited heads of all Islamic countries to the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in 1974 in Lahore.
In addition, Bhutto gifted the largest and first steel mills with the financial and technical support of Russia to the Pakistani nation, which was a great step towards making the country an economic power.
Today, the nation marks the 42nd anniversary of the martyrdom of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who for the first time provided residential plots to newspaper workers.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed also stayed for a long time in Bombay with his father and some other members of his family, where he also received his early education. He then moved to Naudero, Sindh with his late father.
He obtained several degrees in law from London and also practiced law for some time. When he stepped into politics, it was the Ayub Khan era that gave him a federal ministry.
Given his abilities and especially his expertise in world politics, foresight and political insight, President Ayub Khan promoted him to the post of Foreign Minister.
After assuming this position, he utilized his abilities to the fullest to enhance Pakistan’s prestige in the international community.
This trend continued till the Pak-India war of September 1965 and after the end of this war, he openly expressed his reaction by declaring some clauses of the agreement as against the interest of Pakistan.
Therefore, this reaction was not tolerated by Ayub Khan and the world powers that were supporting India in this war.
He also expressed his displeasure over it, which resulted in his ouster from the ministry by Ayub Khan.
After this announcement, when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto left for Karachi by train, he was greeted by thousands of citizens at every station along the way.
The way in which he was paid tribute due to his political vision, foresightedness and patriotism by people greatly increased his confidence in the people and he decided to establish the PPP to play a permanent role in national politics.
He finally announced the formation of the party during a meeting at the residence of Dr Mubashir Hassan in Lahore.
His party’s membership and popularity grew so rapidly that in the elections under Yahya Khan, the PPP emerged as the country’s largest and most popular political party.
Thus he became the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first elected Assembly came into being. As a result of their efforts, Yahya Khan’s martial law came to an end.
And the democratic era began in the country. He first decided to give the country a unified constitution in which he achieved tremendous success.
Even a party like the ANP supported the constitution and the ANP representatives on the draft constitution.
After this, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed launched a program to serve the people and fulfill the basic aims and objectives of an ideological Islamic state.
PPP’s Awami style also greatly increased people’s confidence in politics and politicians, thus promoting democracy and democratic values and raising Pakistan’s prestige in the international community.
After completing his first constitutional term, he announced that general elections would be held in the country, although he could have extended his term if he had wanted to, given the circumstances prevailed in the country.
The story of Bhutto Shaheed’s deeds is very long. And the tightness of the pages does not allow me to write on it.
However, during the elections, some political parties, seeing the PPP’s popularity, started a movement to create an atmosphere of confrontation against the government by accusing it of interference and corruption, although Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed addressed their grievances.
He was also ready to hold re-election for the post.
And for this he also held regular consultations with the opposition leaders.
It was still going on that the military dictator Ziaul Haq overthrew the government at the behest of some external powers and seized powers.
After arresting Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed, a murder case was filed, paving the way for his extra-judicial killing.
The case of judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed is still awaiting justice. Thus, military dictatorship remained in power in the country for a long time.
Today the people of Pakistan are reciting Qur’an from Khyber to Karachi from house to house for their beloved leader. His name is still written in golden letters in the history of Pakistan.
After the death of this military dictator, when elections were held in the country, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto proved the popularity of the party by winning a landslide victory and became Asia’s first elected Prime Minister.
That is why even today Pakistan People’s Party has emerged as the most popular party in all the four provinces and whenever fair elections are held in Pakistan.
If the Pakistan People’s Party comes to power after winning, then it works for the welfare of the workers, farmers and peasants and to raise their living standards.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed had always been a golden chapter in the history of Pakistan and the nation can never take off his favors.
Let us pledge today to create an atmosphere of unity in our ranks.
Strengthen the hands of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman PPP and fully compete with today’s elected Prime Minister.
I want to make it clear here that PPP workers will fight all the cases against our leadership on political grounds.
Our leadership is united under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The writer can be reached at: munawaranjum@outlook.com
