Freedom valued in democracy: Bilawal Bhutto

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stressed that the value of freedom lies in true democracy because there is no other system that guarantees respect for human dignity and development of mankind.

In his message issued on the eve of the 74th Independence Day, the PPP Chairman congratulated the nation and said that ours is a dynamic young nation, which is well aware of the value of its independence. The nation knows how to protect its freedoms, and has inherited this commitment from the independence movement, a peaceful political struggle.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that under the leadership of Quaid-e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, our forefathers had shed the shackles of imperialism and saved future generations from all persecution, religious and otherwise. Our forefathers sacrificed so that we could enjoy our freedoms – of worship, of speech, of expression, of association; so that we could have the power to hold governments accountable through the power of the vote, and have justice without delay.

PPP Chairman said that foresight and self-accountability are the attributes of living nations. “We need to see why everyday items like flour, sugar and petrol are still under the control of the mafia today,” he added.

He said that even on 74th Independence Day people are questioning why state resources are being used to suppress freedoms of expression and the media and political opponents, instead of eradicating hunger and poverty? Why are newspaper headlines becoming the basis of balance in the scales of justice? Why do dictatorships and ideologies of necessity keep coming up every few years? Why is Pakistan still struggling to live up to the vision of its founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah?

PPP Chairmain said that the solution to all the problems being confronted by Pakistan today lies in the supremacy of the Constitution and the Parliament, the rule of law, and the recognition of democracy and the cessation of its violation. “As long as all are not equal before the law, the country will continue to suffer from internal and external crises.” he said

He paid rich tributes to Quaid-e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and all his comrades who took part in the freedom movement under his leadership.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that the PPP would follow the Constitution and democratic principles to transform this nation into a true welfare state, as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.