Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Thursday came down hard on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for what he called victimisation of the political opponents in the name of accountability.

“Tehreek-e-Insaf has become Tehreek-e-Inteqaam now,” he said while speaking to media and party workers on the 11th anniversary of the Karsaz attack. The prime minister’s ‘secret meeting’ with officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) gives an impression that he intends to take revenge from leaders of other political parties. “Autonomous organisations are openly threatened during news conferences … the suspicions arose when the opposition leader was arrested a few days ahead of the by-elections,” he added.

About the twin blasts that killed more than 150 PPP workers and injured many others some 11 years ago, Bilawal said the victims sacrificed their lives for the country and the democracy. However, he demanded, proper investigation should be carried into the terrorist attacks. Evidence collected from the crime scene was wasted, he claimed.

Earlier in the day, Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani visited the graveyard in Azam Basti area where he offered prayers at the graves of the victims. Prayers were offered and free food was distributed in Garhi Khuda Baksh, a village where Benazir Bhutto and other members of the Bhutto family rest in peace.

In a statement, PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari said the martyrs of Karsaz attack are the shining starts of democracy, whose sacrifices would not go waste.

On October 18, 2007, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming procession was attacked with two blasts, killing more than 150 PPP workers. Benazir escaped the attack unhurt but was assassinated two months later during an election rally in Rawalpindi.

Published in Daily Times, October 19^th 2018.