PPP leaders condemn killing of Shahbaz Bhatti

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab chapter held a meeting to condole the assassination of Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, at the party headquarters in Faisal Town on Thursday. Under the chairmanship of provincial secretary Samiullah Khan Durrani, the party paid rich tribute to the minister for his efforts to boost the living standard of the minorities in the country.


PPP’s nominated opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly and former senior minister Raja Riaz Ahmad, party’s nominated parliamentary leader in the House Nazar Gondal and other office-bearers attended the meeting. The meeting began with a special prayer for the deceased soul, followed by a series of speeches on the late minister. On the occasion, the party leaders and office-bearers also offered fateha for the founder of the PPP, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and its assassinated leaders Benazir Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer. The PPP office-bearers also shared some of their memories of Shahbaz Bhatti as a true jiyala and a wise political leader who was fighting for the rights of minorities. The party leaders said that Bhatti’s murder was a great loss for the party and the democracy.

Addressing the meeting, Raja Riaz condemned the murder of the minister and said that the attack on Bhatti was not an act of killing, but a direct attack on the PPP. However, the party would continue its struggle for uplifting the living standard of the poor masses of the country, following the vision of Benazir Bhutto, he added. Riaz said that the PPP was committed to continue the politics of reconciliation in the near future in the larger interest of the nation. He said that the PPP-led government was not afraid of terrorists and would deal with such cowardly acts bravely. Riaz said that Bhatti’s murder was against the thinking of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had given equal rights to the minorities. Riaz warned that efforts were being made to disintegrate Pakistan, but his party would not give the anti-state elements any space to succeed in their aims at any cost. He urged the nation to follow the commitments of Quaid-e-Azam which he had made with the minorities, like giving protection of life and equal rights to them.

Strongly condemning the murder of Bhatti, nominated PPP parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly, Nazar Gondal, said that his party was proud of the assassinated minister’s services who, he added, had sacrificed his life for a patriotic reason. He also urged the media to discourage the extremists and terrorists and their activities, as they were more harmful for the country than anything else. PPP Punjab General Secretary, Samiullah Khan, said that some elements were against the progressive and moderate approach of the Pakistani nation and they were behind such terror attacks. He said that his party was committed to continue a progressive approach, which was the only way to help prosper and compete with the international community. He also demanded all the political parties to play their role in the war on terror, just like the PPP. staff report