ISLAMABAD: Information Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that ‘mother of democracy’ Nusrat Bhutto was
martyred as cause of her demise was not physical.
He said this
during a condolence reference in memory of Begum Nusrat Bhutto organized
by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), here on Monday.
Kaira said that actually she lost her life due to damages in her head
caused by atrocities on PPP workers including her in Qaddafi Stadium,
Lahore.
Due to head injury, she received during ruthless baton
charge in the regime of dictator Zia-ul-Haq , Nusrat Bhutto. He said
that she first firmly stood behind Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto against General
Ayub Khan for the rights of workers, laborers, poor and women of
Pakistan.
Later on, she faced the state might while facing the
ever vicious dictator of country’s history. “If someone wants to learn
sacrifice, courage, patience, and struggle he should read the life
history of Begum Bhutto” he added.
He said that once the state
was out to exterminate PPP with full strength but she stood unchallenged
by taking the plea that the murder of ZAB was not the killing of a
person alone but an effort to kill the ideology of progress, humanity,
and principles. He said that PPP workers were beaten, whipped, jailed,
exiled but never gave up due to leadership of Nusrat Bhutto in
post-Bhutto phase and she also established women wing in PPP.
“Had
Nusrat Bhutto not been there the PPP would have either been broken into
pieces or had taken the path of violence” he maintained. He said that
no women in the recent of human history have faced such state
brutalities, victimization and use of force as the way she suffered
physical and mental tortures, murders of husband and two sons and
daughter, cases, false propaganda and much more. He urged that PPP would
compile a book on her. Farahnaz Ispahani, PPP MNA Senator Tahir
Mashhadi and Ahmad Saleem also paid rich tribute to Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
Paying rich tribute and homage to Madar-e-Jamhooriat, Begum
Nusrat Bhutto, the speakers and participants, said that Nusrat Bhutto
was one of the greatest women the country has ever produced and the
country and nation are now poorer without her. Farahnaz Ispahani said
that Begum Nusrat Bhutto will be recalled as the mother of democracy
whenever the great ladies of history will be remembered. Begum Nusrat
Bhutto, she said, hoisted the flag of democracy, stood like a wall
before ruthless dictators, suffered both physically and emotionally the
continuous onslaught of her adversaries, so we could all breathe freely
in open environment. She sacrificed her whole family “so that our
families could thrive and prosper”, she added. She dubbed Nusrat
Bhutto as ’the Iron Lady of Pakistan ", who was the backbone of movement
for the restoration of democracy (MRD). She said that when we talk of
reconciliation today, in fact, it was Nusrat Bhutto who pioneered it by
bringing together the country’s political forces, even those who were
adversaries of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on the platform of MRD. She
said that Begum Nusrat Bhutto will always be remembered as the "mother
of democracy” who lit the torch of guidance for us and told us to be
willing to surrender our wealth, comfort and even our lives. Senator
Tahir Mashhadi, on behalf MQM and its leadership, said that it is great
honor for them to pay homage to one of the greatest woman the country
ever has produced. He said that Begum Nusrat Bhutto was a dignified,
faithful lady, courageous and an un-matched woman who told the people of
Pakistan and world what courage means. Ahmad Saleem, Senior Advisor
SDPI, paid tributes to her political, legal and organizations struggle
and contribution for the sake of people of Pakistan. He said that she
took over the party leadership in extremely difficult times in the
backdrop of most powerful dictator and stood firm against him. Online
