DADU: Paying rich tribute to the martyrs who struggled against dictatorship during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has pledged to thwart all conspiracies against the unity of Sindh at every forum.
The party organised a large public gathering on Saturday in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Dadu district, on the occasion of the death anniversary of the MRD martyrs. Hundreds of men and women attended the gathering in large numbers.
Addressing the gathering, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro paid tribute to the MRD martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for democracy.
He said people from K.N. Shah and Sakrand had particularly offered great sacrifices during the movement against dictatorship. He said that the sacrificesoffered by PPP leaders and workers for democracy must not be forgotten.
PPP Hyderabad Division President Aajiz Dhamrah said Sindh had played a historic role in the restoration of democracy, and pledged that the party would continue to defend the province’s unity and provincial autonomy.
Speaking about the new provinces, Nisar Khuhro said that the Sindh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against the division of Sindh, thereby constitutionally closing the way for changing the province’s boundaries or creating new provinces. Therefore, he said, any discussion on new provinces in the National Assembly or Senate would now have no constitutional standing.
He said that the constitutional authority to create a new province or change the boundaries of a province rests not with the National Assembly or Senate, but with the provincial assembly.
Warning the federal government, Nisar Khuhro said that if the federal government succeeded in getting a resolution in favour of new provinces passed by the National Assembly, the PPP would once again have the Sindh Assembly reject that resolution and pass another resolution against the creation of new provinces.He said that despite the Sindh Assembly’s approval of the resolution, statements by federal ministers in favour of creating new provinces amounted to disrespect for the Constitution. He called on federal ministers to refrain from violating the Constitution, accept it and ensure that it is implemented.
Nisar Khuhro said that no one could break the unity of Sindh. Karachi would not be handed over to the federation, nor would a new province be created in Sindh.
He said that during the dictatorship of General Pervez Musharraf, the provinces had effectively been turned into ‘postmen,’ with funds being provided directly by the federal government to district governments instead of being routed through the provinces. He claimed that MQMPakistan now wanted the local-government system introduced during Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship. However, he said, the era of Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship would not return.
He said that the PPP wanted continuity of democracy in the country and supremacy of the Constitution, law and Parliament because the party’s leadership and workers had sacrificed their lives for the people and for democracy.
He said that under the pretext of’resetting the system,’ the country could not afford any undemocratic or unconstitutional action. He therefore called on the federal government to stop making unconstitutional statements and disrespecting the Constitution.
On the occasion, PPP Hyderabad Division President Aajiz Dhamrah, PPP Dadu District President Pir Mujeeb-ulHaq, MNA Irfan Laghari, Dr. Khalil Kanhar and other leaders also addressed the gathering.
Quran Khwani at Bhuttos’ mausoleum A Quran Khwani was held at Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana district on Saturday to mark the anniversary.
PPP Larkana District President MNA Khursheed Junejo, District Council Chairman and PPP District General Secretary Aijaz Ahmed Leghari, Special Assistant to the CM Khair Mohammad Sheikh, Nisar Murad Bhutto and others attended the event.
After the Quran Khwani, prayers were offered for the forgiveness of the martyrs. Rose petals were showered on the graves of PPP founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto.