Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Recollections and remembrances

A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN EVERY POOR HOMEMR. GHIAS-UD-DIN JANBAZChairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed belonged to that select group ofinternational leaders, who would almost mesmerize by his wisdom, style,manners, speech all those who got an opportunity to meet him. He had a veryattractive personality. He was a handsome man with captivating eyes. Heconducted himself with lot of dignity. People saw expressions of this beauty anddignity in his innocence, in his smiles and in his tears. He gave all the respect tohis visitors and made them feel his equals. He would meet the smallest politicalworkers, with all the respect and affection and would try to share and solve theirproblems. It was his love for the workers, his commitment to their welfare thatthe party remains popular even now and poor masses of the country cherish theparty as their very own.When he called the First convention of the party in Lahore on 30th November1967, about six hundred political workers attended the convention. These werethe people, whom he had enamored by his dignified loving conduct. He wasnamed Quaid-e-Awam by the people as a result of his love, his sincerity, hisfeelings for the people. That is the reasons why millions of the poor in Pakistanmourned his Shahadat like the death of a close brother or a parent.I remember that when the Party was founded many newspapers and magazinesunder official patronage had criticized that Mr. Bhutto had collected immatureand inexperienced persons around him. But Bhutto trained his colleagues. Indiscussion with his colleagues he would impart political knowledge. He wouldenlighten their minds. He did not stop there. He would encourage theiradvancement. Like a kind father he would ignore their mistakes, and would notlet anybody feel that he is upset with the person. He remembered thousands ofhis workers by their names. If he met you once your face and your name wouldstay preserved in his computer like brain.In June ’70, Chairman Bhutto Shaheed went over to meet Mr. Mujibur-Rehman inFaisalabad jail, the right hand man of Maulana Bhashani and later deputy PrimeMinister of Bangladesh. The meeting was supposed to be a secret meeting.However, a fourteen year old boy standing outside the jail spotted him gettingdown from his car. He approached the Shaheed, and after the salam andhandshake told the Shaheed that he was a student of class ninth and when Ayubhad arrested the Shaheed this boy had taken out a protest procession of thestudents of his school. In 1976 this young boy rose to become the GeneralZulfikar Ali Bhutto, Recollections and Remembrances; Copyright © www.bhutto.org 125