13th martyrdom anniversary: Zardari, Bilawal pay glowing tribute to Benazir Bhutto

ISLAMABAD: Former president and President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari, paying glowing tributes to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on her 13th martyrdom anniversary, has vowed to continue her struggle to free the people of Pakistan from oppression and give them a better future. “Her sacrifices for democracy and the people of Pakistan have been etched into the history of the country and in people's hearts,” he said in a statement on Saturday. Former president Zardari said we are currently facing a similar oppressive system that she fought against, and we will be victorious by establishing a true democracy in the country envisioned by her.

“In order to do this, it is important to follow her footsteps and strive towards a better future for our nation,” he said. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also paid glowing tributes to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on her 13th martyrdom anniversary and said that though not physically with us, she continues to be the unifying and binding force for democratic forces and guiding light for the party leaders and workers.

In his message on the eve of the martyrdom anniversary, the PPP chairman said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remained a model daughter, sister, wife, mother and ruler of hearts in the Islamic world, and her loss will be felt for centuries in unbiased history.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto not only inspired women in a male-dominated society but she unified the whole nation and led it valiantly during the struggle for restoration of democracy and human rights. “Her vision lives on in the form of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as she had challenged the dictatorial forces that 'you can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea'," he added.

The chairman PPP said that from bringing in ballistic missile technology to strengthening the national defence, from provision of land to landless women farmers to the establishment of First Women Bank, to establishing separate women police stations to introducing anti-polio vaccination, creating employment opportunities, striving for basic freedoms for the people, she spent every moment of her life for working for the nation and its poor citizens, youth, children, and women.

He said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto struggled for the rights of downtrodden masses, empowerment of women and the marginalized, braving solitary confinement, imprisonment, victimisation and character-assassinations but never fell silent.

“The forces of darkness finally killed her through a conspiracy but they couldn’t defeat her even after her martyrdom,” he added. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that the mission left behind by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto will continue to be pursued vigorously with every sacrifice and asked the party workers to get ready for a grand struggle for the restoration of true democracy, supremacy of the Constitution and parliament together with full empowerment of the people of the country.