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Pakistan Marks Benazir Bhutto’s 18th Death Anniversary With High-Level Tributes and Tight Security

Calls for accountability overshadow promises of a memorial left unrealized at Liaquat Bagh.

Overview

  • The PPP’s central gathering is in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, with President Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari participating.
  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a message of tribute, while a federal delegation led by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq travelled to attend the ceremony.
  • Sindh declared December 27 a public holiday as mourners observed prayers and events in Sindh and at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi.
  • Police announced heavy security for the commemorations, including a deployment reported at 10,000 personnel in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
  • Reporting underscores longstanding investigative lapses after the 2007 attack and notes that the promised Liaquat Bagh memorial remains unbuilt despite a 2008 funding pledge.