Rejecting government’s claim that Baitullah Mehsud was behind the assassination of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, leaders of the party held Army, Establishment and Chaudhrys of Punjab responsible for her tragic murder. Party central leader, Sherry Rehman also rejected government claim that her death was caused by the lever of sun-roof and said "I had seen a bullet wound on her neck." Taking out a big rally on the third consecutive day, the mournful workers chanted the slogans of “Ya Allah Ya Rasool Benazir Beqasur, Hum Buhat Sharminda Hay Aap Ke Qatil Zinda Hay and Zinda Hay Bhutto Zinda Hay.” They marched in a procession to Dir Stadium where a Ghaibana Nimaz-e-Janaza of Benazir Bhutto was offered.
After Nimaz-e-Janaza, the furious protesting workers attacked police station with stones and smashed window glasses and uprooted police signboards. For the second consecutive day, no police official figured anywhere in the town and remained confined to the Police Line Dir. The mourners also pelted stones at National Bank of Pakistan Dir Branch and caused damages to it. The party workers also burnt tyres on Dir-Peshawar road and blocked it for kind of traffic.
They held a protest demonstration at Dir Chowk and vowed to avenge her every drop of blood. Addressing the tearful party workers, PPP provincial general secretary Najmuddin Khan, Muhammad Rashid Advocate, Hasham Hussain, Anwar Khan Advocate and other party leaders said he was a symbol of unity in the country. Referring to slogans of ‘dismember Pakistan’ and Pakistan Murda Bad, the speakers said Bhutto stopped the slogans of “Sindhu Desh” and united the whole country. Like her father, Benazir was also a symbol of unity in Pakistan. She, they added, was a chain keeping all the four federating units together.
“We don’t afraid of suicide bombers. We will give thousands of suicide bombers to our party, if our leaders ask for it. The perpetrators will be killed irrespective of their power,” they vowed. They again questioned why Chaudhrys of Punjab were not being attacked by Al-Qaeda despite the fact they killed innocent children and women of Waziristan, Lal Masjid, Bajaur and Swat? Only the leaders of PPP, they said, were killed because they did the politics of peasants, labours and poor people. “She was the last hope of the people of Pakistan,” they added.
Najmuddin, who was not only tearful during his speech but also made the audience weep, said Benazir had promised with him to visit Upper Dir on December 27, the day she was assassinated, but ask her to delay her visit due to security problems in Chakdara. “I told her not to come as I feared she might be killed, but unfortunately she was killed in Rawalpindi on the day she wished to be in Dir,” he recalled with a hoarse voice. He announced he would not contest elections after the death of his leader. “For whom should I go to parliament?” he asked. He said the party had nothing to do with Al-Qaeda or Taliban but generals and Chaudhrys were responsible for her death.
Meanwhile, all bazaars remained closed for the second consecutive day and traffic remained off the road. Protest demonstration was also held in Wari.
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