KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that his prime task was to achieve the unfinished mission left behind by his mother and former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for a Pakistan, which shines on the globe as an egalitarian, democratic, strong and prosperous Muslim nation.

In his message on the 65th birthday of Benazir Bhutto being celebrated on Thursday, the PPP chairman said as a mother she always considered Pakistani children as her own and laid down her life fighting for their future. 

He said that her valiant struggle and brave resistance to the dictatorial forces and their henchmen has become a permanent source of inspiration and pride for the generations to come.

Paying rich tributes to the slain premier, he said that she had initiated eradication of polio from Pakistan in 1994 and currently the deadly disease was very close to extinction in the country. She also started major steps for empowerment of women and established First Women Bank, separate police stations for women and created a mechanism for economic empowerment of women and their protection.

Bilawal also pointed out that Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto launched ballistic missile programme to strengthen the defence system of the country besides carrying out several giant efforts for increasing the revenue generation at both federal and provincial levels.

He said that PPP has achieved the dream of Benazir Bhutto by restoring the 1973 Constitution in its original shape in 2010 through consensus to ensure provincial autonomy and devolution of powers.

He pledged that PPP will continue its struggle for achieving the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and was confident that people of Pakistan would vote his Party in 2018 general elections and enable it to pursue her dream.

 In a separate message, former President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated the Party’s commitment to continue fight for women rights rejecting also ‘assault on women rights in the name of religion’.

“Today is the 65th birthday of our leader, the twice elected prime minister of Pakistan, the icon of women rights and Muslim world’s first female Prime Minister  Bhutto. The Party reiterates its commitment to fight the bigots, obscurantist, male chauvinists and the self styled custodians of religion and morality who resist the yearning of women for the flowering of their potential”.

On her birthday today we also reassure the women of Pakistan of full support in their struggle against all forms of exploitation, discrimination and violence.

Zardari also called for gender equality lauding “the brave and courageous men and women engaged in this struggle”.

The former President also paid tributes to those who , following in her footsteps, laid down their lives or suffered in the course of democratic struggle and in fighting militants and regressive elements.

“On the eve of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s birthday we salute them all”.