Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s death anniversary observed countrywide

LARKANA: The 31st death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), former prime minister and founder of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was observed with great fervour and solemnity on Sunday.

The PPP and PPP-Shaheed Bhutto (SB) arranged functions separately to commemorate the death anniversary. Quran khawani’s were held in every corner of the country to pray for the departed soul of ZAB. People from all walks of life paid rich tributes to the former prime minister for his services to the nation and long life struggle for the promotion of democracy. The main function in this regard was held at Bhutto’s mausoleum at Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto, where Quran Khawani was also held throughout the day. PPP leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and others visited the ZAB’s mausoleum to lay floral wreaths and offer fateha. PPP leaders from all over the country including Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and FATA also participated in the functions, which were held to mark the occasion. PPP senators, members of national assembly, members of provincial assemblies, PPP central executive committee (CEC) and federal council (FC) members also paid their tributes to ZAB.

Caravans and rallies of PPP workers continued to reach and leave Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto and the place remained jam-packed with people all the day. A ‘mushaira’ was also held on the occasion in which prominent poets from all over the country paid rich tributes to the former prime minister. Following the tradition, a joint meeting of the PPP CEC and FC was held, which was chaired by PPP Co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari. Participants of the meeting hailed ZAB’s services to the nation and democracy and expressed their full confidence in the leadership of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The overall political situation of the country and matters relating to the party functioning were also discussed in the meeting. Rich tributes were also paid to former PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto for sacrificing her life only to achieve the rights of the downtrodden and to strengthen the democratic system in the country in order to provide the poor masses basic facilities under her party manifesto including the provision of employment, education, energy, environment and improvement of economy of the country in the national interest. Peoples Doctors Forum (PDF) Larkana district and District Health Department Larkana also established free medical camps to provide medical assistance to the participants of the death anniversary at Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto.

On this occasion a documentary film on the life of ZAB was also shown, which included his highly charged speeches at the UN. Strict security arrangements were in place to avoid any untoward incident

President Zardari inaugurates power plant in Larkana

LARKANA: President Asif Zardari Sunday urged foreign investors to take advantage of the business opportunities in Pakistan and establish energy and infrastructure projects in partnership with provincial governments.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the first gas fired rental power plant of 51 Mega Watts at Naudero, district Larkana. President Zardari said power producers were of benefit to Pakistan, as they kept the country out of darkness.

President Zardari thanked the Walter Power International, which has set up the power plant for making investment in the interior of Sindh saying it will create thousands of jobs for people. The company has a history of setting up power projects in Pakistan, he added.

Zardari said the government is pursuing the policy of setting up projects through public-private-partnership while ensuring rights of provinces. 
The provinces would have equity in the power projects by providing gas and the land, which would help in creating projects worth billions of dollars. 
He asked the Sindh government to establish a special incentive zones for new industries. The president stressed on people to put their trust in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government so that it can build a better future for Pakistan.

“I remember challenges of the days when the government of Benazir Bhutto was dismissed and the power projects were also derailed,” he recalled.

He said the investors came at the invitation of first Benazir Bhutto government and in her second stint they set up the projects like Hubco with the generation capacity of 1,500 MW. He said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had the foresight to see the rising electricity demand due to growth in population. 

The Benazir Bhutto government managed to sign Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs) of 40,000 MW of which 4,500 MW was to be produced from coal, he noted. 

He said PPP has a vision for tomorrow and it understands needs of the future. It fulfilled its promise by making operational, the first power plant of Sindh in Larkana. He reminded that in the past PPP was criticized for bringing independent power producers to Pakistan. 

The Naudero power plant has been assured 12mmcfd gas for five year through PEPCO's Generation Company and an SSGC gas transmission pipeline has been linked to it besides laying of 132 KV transmission line to connect the power to national grid.

It will provide power to 2,500 tubewells which are designed to irrigate 75,000 acres of land that produces 1.2 million tons of wheat and rice besides ensuring stable power to over 1,000 average sized villages in the area.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Interior Minister A. Rehman Malik, Minister for Privatization Syed Naveed Qamar, Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Nisar Ali Shaikh (Shaikh Brothery), Provincial Ministers, Central Information Secretary of PPP Fouzia Wahab, MNAs, MPAs, PPP leaders and high officials were present on the occasion. -APP