Sindh to observe Zulfikar Bhutto's death anniversary as public holiday

KARACHI: On the occasion of death anniversary of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Sindh government on Monday declared that April 4 would be observed as a public holiday.

In this regard, the provincial government has also released a notification.

As per the notification: "The Government of Sindh has been pleased to declare April 4, 2025 (Friday) as public holiday on the occasion of 46th martyrdom anniversary of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, ex-prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan throughout Sindh for all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of Government of Sindh, except essential services."

It should be noted that, after the federal government, the Sindh government has also announced three-day public holidays from March 31 to April 2 — from Monday to Wednesday — for Eid ul Fitr.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Bhutto, the only son of Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, was hanged to death on April 4, 1979.

He was born on January 5, 1928. He completed his early education at Bombay’s Cathedral High School. He joined the University of Southern California in 1947 and later the University of California at Berkeley in June 1949.

After completing his degree with honours in Political Science at Berkeley in June 1950, Bhutto was admitted to Oxford. Bhutto was then called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1953.

On his return to Pakistan, Bhutto started practising law at Dingomal’s. In 1958, he joined President Iskander Mirza’s Cabinet as commerce minister. He was the youngest minister in Ayub Khan’s cabinet. In 1963, he took over the post of foreign minister from Muhammad Ali Bogra.

He laid the foundation of the Pakistan Peoples Party on November 30, 1967.

Bhutto also made the country’s defence impregnable by starting a nuclear programme. He made possible the consensus enactment of the Constitution of 1973.