PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto has termed July 5, 1977, as a black day in national history.
According to a statement issued by Bilawal House Media Cell, the PPP chairman said in his message that Zia was a culprit of the Constitution and of the Pakistani nation while emphasizing that the violations of civil and human rights during Zia’s dictatorship and the atrocities committed against those who demanded the restoration of democracy will forever be a source of shame for humanity.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto referred to July 5, 1977, as a black day in the nation’s history and said that the day serves as a reminder of how a power-hungry dictator thrust the entire nation into the depths of extremism, terrorism, the proliferation of arms, and a drug culture under the guise of religion. Even after 46 years, the nation struggles to rid itself of these afflictions.
Read more: Looking back at the legacy left behind by Zia
Bilawal said that on July 5, 1977, General Ziaul Haq had unlawfully seized power, overthrowing the government of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected prime minister of Pakistan and the most popular leader, and deprived citizens of their basic rights.
The PPP chairman saluted party workers who endured floggings, imprisonment, and martyrdom during the Zia regime in their pursuit of democracy. He vowed that his party would continue the struggle with determination and courage to protect the unanimous Constitution of 1973, and uphold the parliamentary system of democracy.
5th July 1977 marks the beginning of the darkest chapter in Pakistans history. The seeds of division that were sown that day are still bearing the fruit of hatred today. Let us bury the legacy of dictators by rejecting the politics of division and hate. #5thJulyBlackDay pic.twitter.com/gTaCI4ac89
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 5, 2023
Operation Fair Play was the code name for the military coup d’état conducted on 5 July 1977 by Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq, overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The pretext for the coup was the failure of the ruling PPP and the opposition PNA to reach an agreement regarding fresh elections. The code name Fair Play was intended to portray the coup as the benign intervention of an impartial referee to uphold respect for the rules and ensure free and fair elections.
Read more: Bilawal criticizes Zia regime while being an ally of PML-N