ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has labeled the July 5, 1977 military coup as the darkest day in the country’s history, declaring it a moment when democracy was ambushed and the nation plunged into darkness.
In a post on social media platform X, Bilawal stated that July 5 sowed the seeds of hatred and division through dictatorship—effects still evident in Pakistan’s political, social, and national consciousness.
“It is time we move beyond hatred, chaos, and personal rule, and instead embrace unity, tolerance, and constitutional supremacy,” he said. He added that democracy must prevail to secure a peaceful and progressive future for coming generations.
PPP Vice President and Senator Sherry Rehman also marked July 5 as a “Black Day,” recalling the ousting of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s democratically elected government as a blow to the hopes of the people.
She noted that Bhutto had laid the foundation for a dignified and nuclear Pakistan, and the consequences of his removal continue to affect the country to this day.
Sherry emphasised the sacrifices of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for democracy and people’s rights. She asserted that PPP under Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto remains committed to constitutional supremacy and democratic ideals.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah echoed the sentiment, calling July 5 a black day in Pakistan’s democratic history. He said that the imposition of martial law in 1977 crushed public will and attempted to suppress the political consciousness awakened by Bhutto.
Murad Shah reiterated that the PPP has always bravely resisted authoritarianism. “Shaheed Bhutto sacrificed his life for democracy. His mission will continue, no matter the cost,” he affirmed.
He also warned that conspiracies against democracy and national integrity persist today and vowed that PPP would resist these efforts with full force to ensure Pakistan remains a democratic and constitutional state.
