Bilawal Bhutto Pays Tribute to Martyrs on 18th Anniversary of Karsaz Tragedy

Karachi: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari marked the 18th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy, calling October 18, 2007, a day “forever engraved on the nation’s soul.”

In his message, Bilawal paid rich tribute to the martyrs of Karsaz, recalling the historic welcome given to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan after years of exile. Over three million supporters gathered to receive her in Karachi, where a devastating twin blast near Karsaz claimed the lives of 180 PPP workers and injured more than 500 others.

Bilawal said the attack was a result of “dictatorship and terrorism joining hands” to suppress democracy. “Those who tried to extinguish the light of democracy failed — the blood of our martyrs only strengthened it,” he stated.

He reaffirmed his resolve to continue the mission of Benazir Bhutto and the martyrs of Karsaz, saying their sacrifices would never be forgotten.

As the nation observes the anniversary, PPP leaders and workers held memorial events across Pakistan to honor the victims.

PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro said the tragedies of October 18 and December 27 (Benazir Bhutto’s assassination) were part of a “conspiracy to silence democracy and the will of the people.”

He praised Benazir Bhutto’s courage and compassion, recalling how she visited hospitals to meet the injured and comfort the families of those killed, despite narrowly surviving the attack herself.

Khuhro added that the PPP remains firm in its belief that “democracy is the best revenge” and continues to work for the rights of the people and the stability of democratic institutions.

The Karsaz tragedy remains one of the darkest chapters in Pakistan’s political history, symbolizing both the resilience of democratic forces and the heavy price paid for freedom and people’s power.