PPP is observing July 5th as a Black Day to mark the ouster of the party founder’s government by the then military dictator General Zia ul Haq. On July 5th 1977, General Zia ul Haque overthrew the government of the then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
As a result, on the 45th anniversary of military general Zia-ul-Haq’s coup on a democratically elected government, PPP will hoist black flags on the vehicles of the party leadership and at the central, provincial, and sub-district offices of the party.
On the occasion, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto – the grandson of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Chairman of PPP – said the political, economic, and social ills Pakistan has been suffering from dated back to the dark days of General Zia-ul-Haq.
“General Zia added the poison of linguistic and sectarian thinking in the political and social life of Pakistan and narrowed the ground for democratic and federalist political parties,” said Bilawal.
Read more: From Lord Macaulay to General Zia ul Haq
Bilawal added that the people of Pakistan fought against Zia-ul-Haq’s fascist regime steadfastly. The country has not still recovered from the damaged Zia-ul-Haq caused during his 11-year-long unconstitutional regime.
ڈکٹیٹر ضیا نے جمہوریت پسند و وفاق پرست سیاسی جماعتوں پر زمین تنگ کردی تھی، چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری
شہید ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کو سیاسی منظر سے ہٹانے کے لیے عدالتی قتل کا اسٹیج تیار کیا گیا، چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) July 5, 2022
PPP supporting Zia’s allies?
Interestingly, Bilawal Bhutto is criticizing the Zia regime while being a part of the PML-N government. To clarify, the former Prime Minister and supreme leader of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, had the strong backing of General Zia ul Haq. In fact, to counter PPP and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s politics, General Zia wanted someone from Punjab, hence it was decided to form Pakistan Muslim League.
As a result, Nawaz Sharif, who is in a self-exile in London, has often been referred to as a “stooge” of Zial ul Haq.
“Stooge of Zia ul Haq, Nawaz Sharif continues to malign our democracy with his attempt to confront and run a smear campaign against the state institutions, this is very much Zia’s dictatorial mindset,” PTI tweeted in 2017.
Stooge of Zia Ul Haq, Nawaz Sharif continues to malign our democracy with his attempt to confront and run a smear campaign against the state institutions , this is very much Zia’s dictatorial mindset ! #ضیاء_کی_باقیات_مسلم_لیگ_نواز pic.twitter.com/q7nEMoal7E
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 13, 2017
However, now things have changed. PPP and PML-N both have put aside their differences to counter a common rival i.e. PTI Chairman Imran Khan who both the parties forcefully ousted in March through the controversial no-confidence vote. It seems PPP has forgone the links between Zia ul Haq and PML-N to come into power.
Read more: Ziaulhaq son blames CIA & Gen Beg for death of his father