PESHAWAR: The leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have pledged that they would continue their struggle for protection and complete restoration of democracy in the country.

PPP observed a black day on Wednesday to condemn the coup against former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto`s government by Gen Ziaul Haq on July 5, 1977.

In Peshawar, the PPP leaders including provincial president Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, provincial general secretary Amjad Afridi, former provincial president Mohammad Humayun Khan, women wing provincial president Senator Rubina Khalid in their separate statements said that 5th July 1977 was the darkest day in the political history of Pakistan because on that day a military dictator deprived the nation of an elected democratic government.

Paying tributes to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, they said the party`s founding chairman worked for the betterment of people of the country. `July 5, 1977 should remain a black day in Pakistan`s history because the hopes and aspirations of our nation were crushed by a dictator,` they added.

They said that extremism and terrorism as well as Kalashnikov and drug culture were all the nasty gifts of Zia dictatorship, which unleashed a reign of terror against democratic, liberal and truly patriotic people of the country.

Recalling the problems of PPP workers during martial law, they said that from lock-ups to torture cells and from lashes to gallows every form of atrocity and violence was let loose against the innocent and unarmed Pakistanis after the ouster of a democratic government.

They said that despite facing the worst victimisation and dictatorial state terrorism, the people of Pakistan, especially PPP workers, remained steadfast and battled bravely for restoration of democracy.

They lauded the PPP leaders, workers, supporters and common citizens, who suffered every kind of brutality for the cause of democracy and mission of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. They vowed that PPP workers would continue their struggle for complete restoration of democracy in the country.

PPP provincial President Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha said that dictatorship led to religious extremism and introduced politics of regionalism and hatred. He said that PPP always focused on national politics to strengthen federation despite the fact that its workers suffered the most during the prolonged tenure of Ziaul Haq martial law.

PPP provincial secretary information Amjad Khan Afridi said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto accepted execution instead of bowing down to dictatorship to strengthen democracy. He said that PPP workers would continue to protect democracy.

He said that political workers were publicly flogged during martial law to frighten people. He said that it was result of the prolonged martial law that religious extremism and sectarianism flourished in the country.