(Asghar Ali Mubarak)
ISLAMABAD (TNS) The Leader of the People Shaheed Zulfikar Bhutto has been awarded the highest civil award Nishan Pakistan posthumously. A ceremony to award the highest civil awards was held at the Presidency on the occasion of Pakistan Day. The President of Pakistan awarded the Nishan Pakistan to former Prime Minister and founder of the People’s Party Shaheed Zulfikar Bhutto in recognition of his outstanding services to the country, democracy and the people, which was received by his daughter Sanam Bhutto. While Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s political and national services were being described, Sanam Bhutto could not control her emotions and became overwhelmed. On this occasion, the Presidency echoed with slogans of Jeay Bhutto and Zinda Hai Bhutto. The ceremony was attended by Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, First Lady Asifa Bhutto and other dignitaries. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the only person in the history of martyred Pakistan who held the highest government and administrative positions. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto accomplished so many achievements in his short life that it is impossible to count them. Remember that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was born on January 5, 1928, to Sindh politician Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, received his early education in Bombay and studied political science at Berkeley and Oxford Universities before passing the bar from Lincoln’s Inn. He returned to Karachi in 1953 and practiced law for some time along with teaching. In 1957 and 1958, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto represented Pakistan in the United Nations in official delegations. In the same year, General Muhammad Ayub Khan imposed martial law on October 27 and made this 30-year-old young lawyer his Minister of Commerce. Later, he held six or seven ministries. On 24 January 1963, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, but on 17 June 1966, Ayub Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto parted ways. On 30 November 1967, just three years after the formation of his new political party, the Pakistan People’s Party, in the 1970 elections, he won 81 out of a total of 138 seats in present-day (or West) Pakistan, and was elected from five constituencies. The Awami League of East Pakistan had won 160 out of a total of 300 seats and was entitled to form a government, but this could not be done and in December 1971, East Pakistan became a separate country called Bangladesh. On 20 December 1971, General Yahya Khan, who succeeded Ayub Khan in 1969, transferred his powers as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the absence of a constitution. Martial law ended with the promulgation of the interim constitution on 20 April 1972, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sworn in as President of Pakistan for the second time on 21 April 1972. When the first unified constitution of Pakistan came into effect on 14 August 1973, Bhutto was sworn in as the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. In 1974, on the night of 10 and 11 November, Ahmed Raza Kasuri named Bhutto in the murder of his father through a personal statement, and an FIR was registered on this basis. According to the then Punjab Police Chief Rao Abdul Rashid, he accepted Ahmed Raza Kasuri’s demand to include Bhutto’s name in the murder FIR.
It must be remembered that the country’s first Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged in the wee hours of the night on April 4, 1979. The decision to hang Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is called judicial murder. The decision to hang former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not correct about 47 years ago. The Supreme Court has given its opinion on the presidential reference filed 13 years ago on March 6, 2024. It has been said that the former Prime Minister of Pakistan was not given the right to a fair trial in the murder case against him. President Asif Ali Zardari had filed this reference in 2011 and a total of 12 hearings were held on this presidential reference in the last 13 years. A nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa After seven hearings on this presidential reference, on March 4, 2024, he reserved his opinion on this presidential reference, which was given on March 6, 2024. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto founded the Pakistan Peoples Party in December 1967. In December 1970, Ahmed Raza Kasuri was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Kasur on a Pakistan Peoples Party ticket. Shortly after the elections, his differences with the party chairman began with Bhutto’s announcement that he would not attend the National Assembly session convened in Dhaka on March 3, 1971, nor would he allow any other member of the assembly to do so. Ahmed Raza Kasuri reached Dhaka to attend this session, but the session did not take place. From here, the distance between Bhutto and Kasuri started to grow. When Kasuri returned, Bhutto asked Kasuri to resign from the National Assembly seat for disagreeing with the party policy, but Kasuri refused. He claimed that he had won this seat not because of the PPP but because of his own popularity. ‘Bhutto suspended Ahmed Raza Kasuri from party membership in light of the allegations made by Meraj Khalid, Hanif Ramay and Yaqub Khan. The next day, Kasuri, addressing a press conference in Lahore, announced the removal of Bhutto from the chairmanship of the PPP.’ On June 6, 1971, the PPP executive council formally expelled Kasuri from the party membership, and thus the gulf of differences between Bhutto and Kasuri deepened.When the 1973 constitution was presented to the House for approval, Kasuri was among the three who did not sign it. On June 4, 1974, Bhutto, speaking in the National Assembly, said that “all members of the opposition have signed the constitution and it is a unanimous constitution.” Ahmed Raza Kasuri admitted in his affidavit before the tribunal that the attack was not necessarily a result of his enmity with the Prime Minister. Kasuri wrote touching letters to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister finally agreed to let Kasuri return to the party ranks. On April 6, 1976, he met Begum Nusrat Bhutto and requested her to honor him with her presence on his return to the party. The next day, he announced his decision to rejoin the PPP while addressing a meeting of workers at his residence in Model Town, Lahore. At the reception, he praised the Prime Minister highly. His mother, Begum Nawab Muhammad Ahmed Khan Kasuri, publicly declared that she would sacrifice all her sons for the Prime Minister because without Prime Minister Bhutto, Pakistan would not remain. The Pakistan People’s Party did not give a ticket to Ahmed Raza Kasuri for the March 1977 elections. On July 5, 1977, General Zia-ul-Haq overthrew the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and seized power. According to Ahmed Raza Kasuri, he filed a murder case against Nawab Muhammad Ahmed Kasuri in the court of the Lahore Sessions Judge about a week later. A few days later, I filed an application in the High Court that the accused were powerful, so the court should transfer the case to itself in its original criminal jurisdiction. The High Court, seeing the FIR attached, called the Advocate General. Instead, Assistant Advocate General Rashid Aziz Khan appeared and sought 15 days’ time to seek guidance from his client, the Punjab government. After 15 days, he told the court that we are bringing the case. So we merged our prosecution into it.’ Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested for the first time on September 3, 1977, under the Pakistan Penal Code on charges of ‘conspiracy to commit murder’ but was granted bail 10 days later. On September 13, Lahore High Court Justice KM Samdani granted Bhutto’s bail, calling the evidence ‘inconsistent and incomplete’. On September 17, he was arrested again in the murder of Nawab Muhammad Ahmed Kasuri, but this time under martial law laws, and Bhutto’s trial began a month later. The then acting Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain, formed a five-member bench headed by Justice Zakiuddin Pal, Justice M.S.H. Qureshi, Justice Aftab Hussain and Justice Gulbaz Khan, and Justice Samdani, who had released Bhutto on bail, was excluded from the bench. Maulvi Mushtaq chose the bench very carefully. Zakiuddin Pal was a staunch opponent of Bhutto. Aftab Hussain was in favor of Maulvi Mushtaq and he had to follow his lead. The other two judges were famous for not writing dissenting judgments. Maulvi Mushtaq’s personal enmity and hatred for Bhutto was not hidden. During his reign, in his obsessive desire to become the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, he did not even accept to become a judge of the Supreme Court. Bhutto’s government appointed Justice Aslam Riaz, eight years his junior, as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. He did not resign but harbored a permanent grudge against Bhutto. Zia-ul-Haq made him the acting Chief Justice to take advantage of this personal grudge. Bhutto was aware of his hatred, so he boycotted the trial court. His request for the transfer of the case was also rejected by Maulvi Mushtaq after a hearing in his chambers. The trial of four other Federal Security Force personnel was also going on in the same case. Initially, the court proceedings were open to the general public, but after January 25, 1978, it was declared secret. On March 18, 1978, the High Court, in its judgment, sentenced all the accused to death for criminal conspiracy and murder. The Supreme Court, in a four-to-three verdict on February 6, 1979, upheld the High Court’s sentence. Three judges, Justice Karam Elahi Chauhan, Justice Muhammad Akram and Justice Naseem Hassan Shah, concurred in this judgment, while Justice Safdar Shah, Justice Durab Patel and Justice Muhammad Haleem wrote dissenting notes. Justice Anwarul Haq used the casting vote to pave the way for the implementation of the verdict. The bench that gave the verdict initially consisted of nine judges, but on a technicality, two judges were removed from the bench to pave the way for the desired verdict. The review appeal of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s lawyer Yahya Bakhtiar was also rejected, but it showed the way for the President to exercise the mercy power. The President did not even bother to read the mercy petition and rejected it without reading it. The country’s first Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged in the second watch of the night on April 4, 1979.
After the fall of Dhaka, Bhutto Shaheed started to heal the wounds of the defeated nation and army. The Simla Agreement with India was a testament to his diplomacy, which resulted in the release of ninety thousand prisoners and the recovery of thousands of square miles of territory. The unification of the Muslim Ummah with a unified constitution, Pak-China friendship, and raising the pride of the nation by acquiring nuclear capability are also important achievements of Bhutto Shaheed. Bhutto Shaheed considered Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear capability as a necessity for the balance of power in the region and launched Pakistan’s nuclear program.Pakistan Day; Civil and military leadership committed to ending terrorism*
(Asghar Ali Mubarak)…
On Pakistan Day, civil and military leadership appeared determined to end the scourge of terrorism. The 85th Pakistan Day was celebrated with enthusiasm across the country. The morning began with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21 in the provincial capitals. Changing of the Guards ceremonies were held at the Quaid-e-Azam and Iqbal mizars.
A special Pakistan Day ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad. President Asif Zardari was the chief guest of the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by important figures including foreign ambassadors. On the occasion of Pakistan Day, a parade of the armed forces was held at the Presidential Palace. The smart and agile contingents of the three armed forces were part of the parade. The troops of the Army, Navy and Air Force marched past and saluted the national flag. In the Pakistan Day parade, the Shaheens of the Pakistan Air Force performed a magnificent fly-past and terrified the enemy. The Sherdil Formation of the Pakistan Air Force performed a magnificent aerial display. JF-17 Thunder, F-16, J-10C and Mirage aircraft impressed the spectators. Army Chief General Asim Munir, Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, and Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani also attended the ceremony. President Asif Ali Zardari, in his address to the participants of the Pakistan Day ceremony, said that today we remember the sacrifices of millions of Muslims. Thanks to millions of sacrifices, the dream of Pakistan has become a reality. We pay tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs. We achieved freedom by making many sacrifices. We fought against external and internal terrorism. India always looks at Pakistan with a malicious eye. Pakistan’s goal is a strong and modern Islamic welfare state. We will thwart the evil intentions of Fitna-ul-Kharij and other terrorist organizations. We will not allow elements spreading hatred and despair among the young generation to succeed. The President said that today we have not forgotten our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. God willing, Kashmir will definitely be free one day. The President said that we have to make a Pakistan that is powerful and developed. I congratulate you on holding a magnificent parade. The nation stands by the armed forces to eradicate the scourge of terrorism. President Zardari said that Fifth Generation Warfare is a major challenge. We are a courageous nation, capable of overcoming challenges, and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice to protect the motherland. We have fought against external and internal terrorism head-on and will eradicate terrorism. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his message on Pakistan Day that the journey from an emerging nation to a nuclear power was made with perseverance and strong determination. Our journey is not over. We have to take the country to further heights of development. We salute the martyrs who laid down their lives in the defense of the homeland. The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Services Chiefs have congratulated the nation on Pakistan Day. A statement issued by the ISPR said that March 23, 1940, is that moment in history that paved the way for the establishment of Pakistan. By the grace of Allah, the nation is progressing under the principles of democracy and Islam. In her message, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz paid tribute to the struggle of the founders of Pakistan and the sacrifices of the martyrs, saying that March 23 reminds us of the golden goals and objectives of the establishment of Pakistan. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated the entire nation on Pakistan Day. In her message, she said that Allah Almighty has also bestowed upon Pakistan the unique honor of becoming the first nuclear power in the Islamic world. On Pakistan Day, the pledge of the sanctity and protection of the holy land should be reiterated. Maryam Nawaz said that on Pakistan Day, the golden principles of unity, faith and discipline should also be reiterated and remembered. Pakistan is an unexpected blessing bestowed by Allah Almighty on all of us. On Pakistan Day, we pledge to reduce poverty, inequality and protect the weaker sections of the society. Pakistan Day reminds us of the beginning of the vigorous struggle for the achievement of Pakistan. She said that let us pledge today that on Pakistan Day, we will use all our capabilities to include our beloved homeland in the ranks of developed countries. Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari says that the Muslim League built Pakistan and the Muslim League is improving it. The Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal is progressing today under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Uzma Bukhari said that Pakistan Day is the name of a new thought, new courage and passion, March 23 reminds us to become a unique and great nation in the world. Pakistan was created to move forward, it has to move forward, the great nation has to embark on a journey of prosperity by eliminating all internal and external conspiracies, the services of the Pakistani armed forces for the security and defense of the country are unforgettable. The provincial minister said that the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect the holy land are the pride of the nation. Governor Sindh Muhammad Kamran Tesori, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah along with members of the provincial cabinet attended the Quaid-e-Azam’s tomb on Pakistan Day, laid wreaths and recited Fateha. Both the leaders prayed for the country’s development, security and the end of terrorism, later they also recorded their impressions in the guest book. The Sindh Governor said that when it comes to Pakistan, we should put politics behind us, terrorists will be expelled from the country within 3 months. Meanwhile, a Pakistan Day ceremony was held at the Pakistani Embassy in the French capital, Paris. In a grand ceremony on the occasion of the national day, Pakistani Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch inaugurated the ceremony by hoisting the green crescent flag. A large number of members of the Pakistani community attended the ceremony. Special messages from the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were read out. Ambassador of Pakistan Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted the importance of this day, highlighting the strong old relations between Pakistan and France in various fields and emphasizing the need to further strengthen them. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch described March 23, 1940 as an important chapter in the history of the Pakistan Resolution, on the basis of which the Muslims of India were declared a separate nation, which paved the way for the establishment of Pakistan in 1947. The ceremony concluded with prayers for the security, welfare and prosperity of Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah around the world. It may be recalled that the Pakistan Day ceremony was celebrated in a dignified manner at the Pakistani Embassy in Brussels, in which the vision of the founders of Pakistan and the enduring values enshrined in the 1940 Pakistan Resolution were reiterated. At the beginning of the ceremony, Charge d’Affaires Faraz Zaidi hoisted the flag, after which the resonant tune of the national anthem was played. Members of the Pakistani community in Belgium and Luxembourg, including families, women and children, enthusiastically participated in the event and paid tribute to Pakistan’s determination, unity and journey of progress. Official messages from the President of Pakistan, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were also read out on the occasion, highlighting the historical significance of March 23 and reiterating the pledge to adhere to the principles of unity, firm belief and sacrifice, and emphasizing the promotion of national progress, democratic values and social justice. They paid tribute to the sacrifices of the founders of Pakistan, martyrs and national heroes and reiterated their commitment to continue supporting the struggle of the oppressed people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine for their right to self-determination. In his address, Faraz Zaidi highlighted the enduring significance of the Lahore Resolution of 1940, which formed the basis of the establishment of Pakistan. He urged the community to uphold national unity and values, contribute positively to the development of Pakistan and the host country, and be proud representatives of their homeland abroad. The event concluded with prayers for the security, progress, and prosperity of Pakistan. Participants appreciated the spirit of patriotism and the efforts made by the embassy to connect the Pakistani community abroad. The Pakistan Day event in Brussels was a reflection of the nation’s shared history, sacrifices, and collective resolve to build a more inclusive, stable, and prosperous Pakistan. Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has described the awarding of the highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, to the founder of the PPP and the country’s first elected Prime Minister, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, as an important milestone in history. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto receiving the Nishan-e-Pakistan is no less than an honor. The founder of the PPP and the country’s first elected Prime Minister receiving the highest civil honor after his martyrdom is an important milestone in history. For the creator of the Constitution of Pakistan, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, this highest civil award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, is another victory for the ideology of Bhuttoism. Bilawal Bhutto said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto receiving the Nishan-e-Pakistan is a recognition of his valuable services to the country. The leader of the people made the people aware of fighting for their rights and became their voice. He further said that the dictator of the time tried to suppress the voice of Shaheed Bhutto, the pride of Asia, but he is still ruling the hearts of the people from Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. Bilawal Bhutto expressed his determination that the Pakistan People’s Party is a follower of Bhuttoism and will always continue on the mission of its martyred founder. It must be remembered that the Pakistan People’s Party is a political party of Pakistan and at present, Pakistan’s The second largest party is the People’s Party, founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The party won the 1970 elections in West Pakistan with a clear majority. When the army refused to give power to the majority party, the Awami League, the result was the separation of East Pakistan. In this difficult situation, the People’s Party took over the reins of the country under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In 1977, the army seized power again without learning from the past and sentenced the most popular Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan to death in a fake trial. Despite all the state arrangements, the People’s Party could not be abolished. After the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, its leadership is in the hands of its acting chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The Pakistan People’s Party is still the largest party in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed was a history-making and a visionary figure. He is a great name and an unforgettable character in the history of Pakistan and the history of Pakistan will always be adorned with his memory. In his only 51 years of life, he achieved a position and status that very few people in history have. Shaheed Bhutto was the only person in the history of Pakistan who held the highest government and administrative positions, including President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Speaker, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of National Reconstruction, Minister of Rural Development, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Minority Affairs. He also held the Ministry of Fuel, Water, Power and Natural Resources. He was a very thoughtful politician, highly educated, extremely well-read, a person who knew the pulse of the people and the times and had a unique personality. Shaheed Bhutto proved to the world the iron of his oratory and intelligence. The vast majority of the people around the world, especially the Pakistani people, still respect him. On January 5, the birth anniversary of the Leader of the People, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is celebrated with great devotion and respect by the lovers of Shaheed Bhutto throughout the country and the world. His charming smile and admirable intelligence are recognized by an era. It is true that Shaheed Zulfikar Bhutto is still ruling the hearts of the people today. He was a charismatic leader. With the struggle of Shaheed Bhutto, the fortresses of the exploiting classes were razed to the ground. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says about his grandfather Shaheed that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a symbol of the power of the people. He gave political consciousness to the people and made them empowered. He gave Pakistan the first unanimous constitution and nuclear program. Benazir Bhutto struggled throughout her life for the mission of the Leader of the People and we will continue this mission. Her entire life was spent in the struggle for the development and betterment of the people and the country. The work done during her reign became the foundation of Pakistan’s development.
