Source: Silence (Blog)

This is the English transcript of the press conference held at Naudero, Larkana Pakistan regarding the decisions of Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan about the future of PPP after the assassination Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.

Sherry Rehman

Now we will start the press briefing. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Makhdoom Amin Faheem and Asif Zardari will lead.

Makhdoom Ameen Fahim

After the rituals of Soyem of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, we happened to convene the meeting of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). We set together and in that meeting the will of Mohtarma was read to us by Mr. Bilawal and in that will Mohtarma wrote that if in case I am no more, Asif Ali Zardari will be the Chairman of the party, the CEC endorsed it but Asif Ali Zardari said that he want to give this responsibility to his son, this was also endorsed by the house and he was elected as the chairman of the party according to the will of Mohtarma and we endorsed it happily. Now I will request Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to speak with you himself.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

I am thankful to the CEC for posing the trust in me as the chairman of PPP, like all chairmen of PPP, I will stand as symbol of federation, the party’s long historic struggle for democracy will continue with renewed vigor and I stand committed to the stability of the federation. My mother always said, “Democracy is the best revenge”

Makhdoom Ameen Fahim

The rest of the decisions made in the meeting of CEC with new organization of PPP about the political issues and current phase of the PPP and the other important issues and facts and proves about the martyrdom of Mohtarma will be communicated by Asif Ali Zardari.

Asif Zardari

We will start with paying the tribute to our leader. Mohtarma, in her life saw sorrows and struggled and her determination was like mountains. We the successors of her feel proud to claim that she knew about the dangers but she stayed fighting with enemy and attained the martyrdom. Mohtarma in her life told us that who was her murderer, she sent a letter that was released by Mark Siegel and it is self explanatory.

We are following her ideas and we are going to participate in the forth coming election as dictated by her ideology. Our party candidates will participate and we are thankful to Mr. Nawaz Sharif who in solidarity with us boycotted the election and we are appealing him to take back his decision and do not boycott and join hands with us. It was the ideology of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who being in jail never talked about the boycott of the election. Thought the general in his time was trying to run away from election and today’s general is also trying to run away from the elections but we will not let him do so. We have decided that we will write to United Nations and Britain, UN has already brought a resolution, PPP has also passed the resolution that we will invite the international investigation team; we will ask UN and British government for helping us with forming an investigative commission on the pattern of one formed in case of Rafiq Hariri.

We PPP and her humble follower are thinking that Benazir will remain our chairperson and I being the co-chairman will assist Bilawal and Mr. Makhdoom Amin Faheem. This was her will and Mohtarma knew that I was not running in election and this will is dated October 16, 2007 and I know the wisdom behind it that someone who can be the symbol of federation should lead and Asif Zardari is such a person but I think at the moment we don’t have any match like Bilawal and he fits in this arrangement. Bilawal has willingly, my children have willingly decided today to change their name and from today onwards the name of Bilawal and the name of my children will be Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

(Chanting Slogans….) Long Live Bhutto, Long Live Bilawal Bhutto, BB is alive, our BB, BB is alive…Bhutto is alive today…Bhutto was alive yesterday. Bilawal is a mirror of Benazir.

The people of Pakistan, in my view, this decision is meant to save a democratic Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto always tried to strengthen the unity of Pakistan and we are sorry that few friends are aggrieved to an extent that they are saying that we no more want Pakistan but I would like to tell them that we need a strong Pakistan.

(Chanting of slogans) The symbol of unity for all the four provinces…..Benazir! Benazir! Bilawal Bhutto step ahead we are with you, Asif Bhutto step ahead, we are with you, give the final push to falling wall.

Party has endorsed the view found in the letter made public by Mark Siegel. Party lawyers has advised us that this can be considered as the dying declaration and an international investigation commission on the pattern of Hariri death investigation commission be invited and we will lodge the FIR on the basis of the recommendation offered in that report.. We will seek the revenge in a democratic and civil way. I do remember when Benazir first took oath, I was with her and she told me that she stood successful in getting revenge of her father’s death. When PPP will come in power and we will stay successful in forth coming elections, her blood will not go in vain. This sacrifice is like Hussain’s (A.S.) sacrifice. This is like the sacrifice the martyrs of Prophet Mohammad gave.

(Chanting of Slogans) Prime Minister Benazir. Step ahead Bilawal, we are with you. Bilawal the mirror of Benazir.

We would like to request the nation to show restrain in showing their anger and be patient. We would like to ask them to show their anguish by voting for PPP in election.

(Chanting of Slogans) vote for arrow…vote for PPP.

Benazir has told us in her will that how we need to move ahead. We are obliged and tied by her will. She has asked us and told that there will be a democratic Pakistan, the party will work for democracy, the party will work for the poor, it will stay a party of poor, I have given this sacrifice and take my blood to people and ask them that for the sake of my blood vote for PPP and abolish the murderer (Qatil) league (referring to party in power Q-leaque).

Our war is with looters, our war is with the party on the government benches, our war is not with Pakistan Army and we don’t want to break Pakistan, we want a strong Pakistan. The loss that this nation has suffered in the wake of Benazir’s death, those who have assassinated Benazir want to be Gorbachev, he want to break Pakistan? we will not let it happen because we are with Pakistan and we hope we will get the Benazir dream come true. We will not leave any stone un-turned to carry forward the message and ideology of Benazir. Now we would like to pay tribute to those martyrs who lost their lives in protecting Benazir, they were Punjabis. They were my friends that I happened to meet in jails of punjab where I was imprisoned for 8 years and they sacrificed their lives. They were loyal friends and party supporters.

With this I would end this short press conference.

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Tags: Bhutto, bilawal, Chairman, chairperson, oxford, PPP, Press Conference, Zardari