I will give my life for Nawaz’s pro-Pakistan narrative, says Maryam

Maryam Nawaz speech

7:00pm

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz declared that she can give her life for promoting the pro-Pakistan narrative of party supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing the rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to mark the 13the death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Maryam Nawaz offered greetings in Sindhi language to the crowd. She thanked Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for inviting her to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. “I heard that Sindhis have big hearts and big dastarkhawans. Today I saw that. I also thanked my brother Bilawal for the hospitality she enjoyed at the Naudero House,” Maryam said.

“Bilawal let me stay at his home so no one can attack me,” she added.

She paid rich tributes to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for her struggle for the democracy. “Today everyone remembers Benazir Bhutto but no one remembers her killers,” she added.

She also recollected how her family had reacted when they heard the news about Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom 13 years ago. 

Maryam also recalled her first meeting with Benazir in London which lasted for over three hours where they also had dinner and tea and discussed at length different issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZucnYmDydA

Maryam blasted Imran Khan for his helplessness in running the government. “It’s was the political garbage that was collected from everywhere and PTI raised from it. Imran Khan now said he came into government without preparedness. This government would not last,” she added.

She said Imran Khan did not have the courage to bring former president Musharraf back to the country as he was awarded death sentence. “Imran even does not have the courage to talk about this issue,” he added.

Maryam said Imran Khan is now begging for NRO from the PDM. “He is a failure, a loser. Shehbaz Sharif’s family begs the government for a meeting and they wait for weeks for it but government’s representative (Muhammad Ali Durrani) needed no prior permission as he went straight into a meeting with Shehbaz in prison. Why? Because he conveyed the request for an NRO,” she maintained.

Maryam said army is suffering due to Imran Khan’s incompetence.

Maryam said politicians face hangings and bashing while mistakes of others are all forgiven.

She said Imran Khan has accepted his failure at the time when his government was about to complete almost three years in office.

Maryam sought help from people of Larkana to oust Imran Khan to bring down the inflation. “Imran Khan is the first politician who gave negative statements against the army in India and in the US,” she alleged. She mocked Prime Minister Imran Khan for considering petty details of PDM and living in illusion that there are any rifts in PDM ranks.

“You cannot say a word to bring back Pervez Musharraf, killer of Benazir Bhutto and constitution of Pakistan. Country’s doors are now closed for Pervez Musharraf,” she said. “Ideology cannot be defeated,” Maryam remarked. 

PML-N Vice-President termed herself a daughter of Sindh and said she was at a jalsa venue with the greetings of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif for the Sindhis. 

Maryam said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, first prime minister of Muslim world, lost her life for her struggle. She prayed for the departed souls of Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Maryam recited the couplet of Faiz Ahmed Faiz to pay tribute to Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: Jis dhaj se koī maqtal meñ gayā vo shaan salāmat rahtī hai, Ye jaan to aanī jaanī hai is jaañ kī to koī baat nahīñ!

Maryam expressed her resolve that she, along with Bilawal Bhutto, would continue the legacy of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. “We have revisited and reviewed our past mistakes in which all political parties were used against each other and gave statements as per the divide and rule policy by the opponents,” she further added.

Haideri could not ignore NAB

5:35pm

JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who was representing his party in the public gathering instead of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, paid rich tributes to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and said she endured hardships for the restoration of democracy in the country.  

He said the present government was ‘selected’ and not elected and hit out at the government's economic policies. 

Haideri said that JUI-F had always remained opposed to the NAB. He said the Bureau was being used to victimize the opposition.

The JUI-F leader said today we had gathered in Larkana to pledge to send this selected and ‘incompetent’ government home.

Dua for Benazir Bhutto

5:21pm

Stage secretary of the jalsa at 5:21pm recited fateha and prayed for late Benazir Bhutto, the time when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated 13 years ago in 2007 in Rawalpindi’s Liaqat Bagh. He also prayed for the good health of the former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Asif Zardari also raised his hands virtually.

Akhter Mengal

5:10pm

Balochistan National Party BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal thanked PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for inviting him on eve of the 13th death anniversary of late Benazir Bhutto, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

He spoke in Sindhi language too and shed light on the strong historical ties on Balochistan and Sindh. Akhter Mengal also paid tribute to Karima Baloch political activist. He paid glowing tributes to the Benazir Bhutto.

‘Selectors’ must choose Imran or Pakistan: Hoti 

4:55pm

Former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Awami National Party senior leader Amir Haider Khan Hoti expressed his resolve that he would help Bilawal Bhutto Zardari like a worker and as an elder brother, like former president Asif Ali Zardari helped Pakhtuns of KP.

“Even Benazir Bhutto was martyred. Bilawal Bhutto continued the legacy of BB and that ‘chain of four provinces’ was not broken,” Hoti said.

He congratulated people of Sindh who stopped ‘selectors’ from rigging in interior Sindh. “I want to ask those who imposed this government on us: what you have achieved? Now he (PM) has accepted his failure,” Hoti said. 

“Now selectors decide whether Imran will be saved or Pakistan. Because we have decided to save Pakistan and its provinces,” he added.

Malik Baloch warns against grabbing Balochistan land

4:40pm

Former Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch alleged that the federal government wanted to grab Sindh and Balochistan land with a conspiracy and such an attempt is unacceptable.

President of National Party (MP) Dr Abdul Malik Baloch who hails from Turbat district, Makran said that Gwadar City is being fenced in the name of security and such attempt is unacceptable.

Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said the PDM charter that is being framed on the occasion of the death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto is for the people of Pakistan and supremacy of law.

Achakzai’s promise

4:10pm

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said all political parties which were at loggerheads in the past are now united under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). 

Addressing the PDM rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, he said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) was hanged because he stood against the tyrants of his time. 

“PDM wants supremacy of constitution and parliament and with this Pakistan will be a successful country of Asia,” he further said.

Mehmood Achakzai said he wanted a promise from Sindhis that they would go with PDM to Islamabad to take resignation. PKMAP chief chanted slogans: ZAB, PPP, Shuhada Zindabad.

Noorani accuses Saqib Nasir of embezzlement

3:55pm

Addressing the PDM rally, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan leader Maulana Shah Owais Noorani said, “The person who gave Constitution to Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged.”   

He paid glowing tribute to late Benazir Bhutto for her democratic struggle for the people of the country. 

“Nation will be victorious in the war of rights to govern the country under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and all PDM leadership,” he added. 

“Maulana Noorani, Mufti Mehmood and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto chanted the same slogan which has now been chanted by the PDM,” he further added. He also alleged former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar embezzled billions of rupees from dam funds.

Maryam’s graceful entry

3:20pm

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also made graceful entry at the PDM rally venue. Accompanied by her delegation, she went up the stage and wave her hands to answer the slogans of the crowd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnN_iyiOGl8

Fazl-less JUI-F team

3:00pm

A JUI-F delegation led by Abdul Ghafoor Haideri also reached the PDM rally venue and climbed up the stage. 

This is the first time that the JUI-F will not be represented by Maulana Fazlur Rehman ever since the PDM launched its anti-government campaign of protests.

Bilawal at rally venue

2:45pm

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived to the roars of the crowd at the rally venue in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh where he is hosting the PDM rally. Huge gathering of PPP workers danced and sang songs as he saw their leader on the stage.

Rally arrangements

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is all set to host a public gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh today. The event will be attended by other Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties.

The PPP is commemorating the 13th death anniversary of former prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

The public rally in Naudero is part of the second phase of PDM's movement against the government. PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz will also address the rally while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will not attend the public gathering.

All arrangements for the rally had been completed and people and supporters have started arriving at the venue. Former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is likely to address the rally via video link due to his ill-health.

PPP chairman's message

In his message on the eve of the martyrdom anniversary of Benazir, Bilawal paid a glowing tribute to Benazir Bhutto on her 13th martyrdom anniversary. He said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remained a model daughter, sister, wife, mother and ruler of hearts in the Islamic world, and her loss will be felt for centuries in unbiased history.

Bilawal said that the former premier not only inspired women in a male-dominated society but she unified the whole nation and led it valiantly during the struggle for restoration of democracy and human rights.

“Her vision lives on in the form of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as she had challenged the dictatorial forces that, ‘You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea,” he added.

The PPP chairman said that from bringing in ballistic missile technology to strengthening national defence, from provision of land to landless women farmers to the establishment of First Women Bank, to establishing separate women police stations to introducing anti-polio vaccination, creating employment opportunities, striving for basic freedoms for the people, she spent every moment of her life for working for the nation and its poor citizens, youth, children, and women.

He said the slain PPP leader struggled for the rights of downtrodden masses, empowerment of women and the marginalized, braving solitary confinement, imprisonment, victimisation and character-assassinations, but never fell silent. “The forces of darkness finally killed her through a conspiracy but they couldn’t defeat her even, after her martyrdom,” he added.

Bilawal pledged that the mission left behind by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto will continue to be pursued vigorously with every sacrifice and asked the Party workers to get ready for a grand struggle for the restoration of true democracy, the supremacy of the Constitution and the Parliament together with full empowerment of the people of the country.

Bilawal hosts Maryam

The unthinkable has happened – the daughter of former prime minister and once-staunch opponent of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, has reached the PPP bastion to attend the death anniversary of the late People’s Party chairperson.

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz entered Larkana where PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his sister Aseefa Bhutto extended a warm welcome to her at Naudero House. PPP leaders Faryal Talpur and Sherry Rehman also joined the PPP delegation in welcoming the PML-N leader.
Maryam Nawaz was accompanied by husband Captain (retd) Safdar, Pervaiz Rashid, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Muhammad Zubair, Miftah Ismael and Shah Muhammad Shah to the Naudero House.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Nawaz will address a large crowd at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh today as the country marks Benazir Bhutto's 13th death anniversary. 
The Opposition leaders' visit comes as the PDM prepares for phase two of its anti-government drive.

Bilawal, who will presides today’s rally, will receive leaders from other political parties at the venue. The PDM leaders are scheduled to visit the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to pay their respects. After the meeting, a dinner in honour of PDM leaders will be hosted at Bhutto House, Naudero.

Security arrangements

Strict security arrangements have been made while walk-through gates have been installed at the entrances of the shrines. Furthermore, over 7,000 police personnel have been deployed, including women commandos and traffic police personnel. Officials said CCTV cameras have also been installed to monitor the public gathering.