Tens of thousands mark anniversary of Bhutto's murder (Roundup)

Dec 27, 2008, 13:15 GMT

Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Pakistan - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis on Saturday assembled in the hometown of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto on the eve of the first anniversary of her assassination.

Bhutto was killed along with three dozen other people in a suicide gun-and-bomb attack on December 27, 2007 shortly after she concluded an election rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.

According to local police officials, more than 150,000 people came to the small town of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in the southern province of Sindh, where Bhutto is buried in a family tomb.

Many came in motor caravans and special trains run by the government, while some walked hundreds of kilometres to pay tribute to their slain leader.

'She is our sister, she is our mother and she is our leader. We are going to remember her till our death,' said Ishfaq Hussain, a labourer who had travelled from the central city of Multan to attend the anniversary.

Bhutto's tragic death led to the victory of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in February 18 elections.

Months later, her widower, Asif Ali Zardari, replaced former president Pervez Musharraf.

Thousands of military and paramilitary troops were deployed around the mausoleum.

Later in the day, the main ceremony, which was to be addressed by Zardari, was cancelled due to security concerns. Other scheduled attendees at the cancelled event were Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of Bhutto and Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

However, Zardari addressed a small gathering at his residence in Nou Dero, a small village located some two kilometres from Bhutto's tomb.

'It is because of BB's (Benazir Bhutto) martyrdom that democracy is complete in Pakistan,' he said in a speech carried live on state television, adding that his family and the party were ready to make more sacrifices for the cause of democracy.

Gilani attended a religious mourning ceremony at his official residence in Islamabad. It concluded with one minute of silence to pay respect to the slain charismatic leader.

He said the present government was 'determined to follow Benazir Bhutto's vision of a strong, democratic and prosperous Pakistan.'

'She gave a voice to the people, gave a voice to the downtrodden, the poor and the labourers. She was a hope for the people of this country, she was a hope for this region,' he said.

A more low-key ceremony continued at the site of Bhutto's assassination in Rawalpindi, where hundreds of people laid flowers and paid tribute to Bhutto, who was dubbed the 'Daughter of the East.'

Big posters with Bhutto pictures were also displayed. One read: 'BB your blood will bring revolution.'

Men and women, some dressed in party colour flags, recited Koran verses for Bhutto's departed soul. Some party activists demanded an investigation into Bhutto's killing.

The attack was blamed on Baitullah Mehsud, a Taliban commander based in Pakistan's ungoverned north-western tribal region near the Afghan border. He denies the allegations.

Bhutto's family has also cast some suspicions on 'rogue elements' in the country's intelligence agencies. The present PPP-led government has called for a UN-led inquiry into her death.

The UN has accepted the request, but a commission to conduct the probe has yet to be formed.

The world body's deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Friday that the UN secretariat 'has been in consultations with the government of Pakistan to determine the nature of the commission, the scope of its mandate and the modalities for its establishment.'

'The secretary general (Ban Ki-moon) is hopeful that, with the progression of the discussions, the commission could be established in the near future,' he said.

Zardari thanked the UN for the statement and said he would wait for the world organization to conclude the probe.