Pakistan Views

Pakistan’s political leaders must strive for democracy, which would stand as a lasting memorial to assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday.

In an article for daily Urdu newspaper, Brown said it was important Bhutto’s killing did not deflect the country’s political leaders from the pursuit of democracy and that scheduled elections could be free, fair and secure.

“A strong representative democracy in Pakistan will defeat terrorism and extremism, show the path to a more stable, prosperous future, and stand as a lasting memorial to the life’s work of Benazir Bhutto,” Brown wrote.

“We owe it to her memory to strive together to achieve that goal,” he said.

Bhutto’s killing in a suicide attack on Thursday stoked bloodshed across the country, casting doubt on nuclear-armed Pakistan’s stability and its transition to civilian rule.

Electoral officials are due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to decide whether to go ahead with a planned Jan. 8 election. Bhutto’s party, which chose her son and husband on Sunday to succeed her, has said it will take part in the election.

Thirty persons including Chairperson, Pakistan Peoples Party, Ms Benazir Bhutto were killed and several others injured in an attack here outside Liaquat Bagh, Rawaplpindi on Thursday.

According to rescue team more than 30 persons were dead in the suicide bomb attack occurred after the public meeting of PPP here at Liaquat Bagh.

Earlier, Asif Zardari, husband of Ms Benazir Bhutto informed that she had sustained serious injuries and was given medical treatment at a hospital.

Benazir Bhutto addressed a public meeting in Liaquat Bagh and soon after she went out, a suicide bomb blast occurred outside the venue.

At least 20 persons have been confirmed to have been killed in the incident, including policemen. Body parts of a number of people scattered around after the power blast.

Police have described the blast a suicide attack.

Leader of PPP, Farhatullah Babur said sound of a powerful blast was heard when the vehicle of Benazir Bhutto was moving past the gate of the bagh.

The rescue team said the blast took lives of more than 30 persons.

Initially, PPP leader Rehman Malik had said that Ms Bhutto remained safe.

Later, Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Benazir Bhutto informed that she had received severe injuries. The police sources also confirmed that Bhutto has sustained critical injuries and shifted to a hospital.

The latest reports said that Benazir Bhutto was killed by fire hitting her neck.

The death of PPP Chairperson agitated the party workers.

PML (N) Chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, condemned strong words the attack on PPP public meeting. He said the PML (N) public meeting scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi had been cancelled in view of the tragic incident.

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto vowed to fight for workers’ rights on Wednesday as she took her campaign for January general elections to an industrial belt near the capital.

Western allies hope the election will restore stability in a nuclear-armed country vital to the battle against militancy. The three-way race pits Benazir Bhutto, against the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and a party that backs President Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup.

Many Pakistanis say they are disillusioned with all three leaders and their main concerns are high prices and unemployment.

Tapping into those worries, Benazir told a crowd of about 600 people in the town of Wah, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Islamabad, she would help the poor.

“We believe that Pakistan can only be a strong state when labourers and poor people become strong and empowered,” she said.

“We assure you we will not leave labourers alone and we’ll not ignore them,” she said, promising to reinstate sacked workers and beef up labour laws.

Benazir was travelling up the Grand Trunk road that used to link Delhi with the Khyber Pass on the Afghan border, where Pakistani armaments, mechanical and textile factories are based.

Small groups of people beside the road waved PPP flags and threw rose petals at her convoy as she passed.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto said that people of Balochistan has forced to pick the arms and their deprivations would be compensated if she comes to power.

She made the promise while addressing a campaign rally in Dera Allahyar.

Ms Bhutto also said she would find all missing persons, and release political prisoners from the region.

The PPP chairperson made accusations against the ruling party claiming the Punjab Governor’s house will be the source of rigging in the upcoming elections.

But she appeared satisfied that President Musharraf has so far lived up to his promises on the ‘roadmap to democracy’ having lifted emergency rule and removing his uniform. She said that the promise of transparent elections is the only point that remains to be fulfilled.

Former Chief Minister of Balochistan and candidate of NA-266 Taj Jamali, Mir Sadiq Imrani, Qaim Ali Shah also addressed the rally.

Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Benazir Bhutto Tuesday said that the strength of the people is much greater than an atom bomb and “we will change the fate of the country” by utilizing this invincible force

Addressing a public gathering here, she said a new day will dawn on January 8 on which all atrocities against people will end.

She said any attempt to distance the people from PPP would be foiled.

“PPP is completely against the usurpers of the peoples’ rights and it is in fact the mission of PPP to put up a fierce struggle for protecting the rights of the people,”

Benazir Bhutto said the government of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) gave nothing to the people but poverty, unemployment and terrorism.

She announced to build a monument in the memory of the “martyrs” of Karachi carnage in Garhi Khuda Buksh.

The PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and the PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif are set to meet next week to decide whether or not to take part in the upcoming general elections.

PML-N leader Raja Zafr-ul-Haq told a foreign news agency that both the leaders are scheduled to meet on Monday in Islamabad … to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.

They would also discuss whether or not to take part in the upcoming general elections.

Zafr-ul-Haq said his party wants a joint opposition strategy about the elections.

Meanwhile, the PPP spokesman Mr. Farhatullah Babar has also confirmed the reports about the next week meeting.