Quetta: Provincial Irrigation Minister Mir Muhammad Sadiq Imrani marked July 5 as a somber anniversary in Pakistan, reflecting on the 1977 military coup that ousted Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s democratically elected government.

According to Directorate General Public Relation – Govt of Balochistan, Minister Imrani denounced the military intervention as a profound assault on Pakistan’s democratic institutions and the public’s democratic spirit. He underscored the long-lasting adverse effects of the martial law imposed that day, which, he believes, the nation still endures decades later.

Minister Imrani praised Bhutto’s enduring contributions to democracy, parliamentary supremacy, and Pakistan’s stature as a nuclear power—the first and only in the Muslim world. He also lamented that the authoritarian forces responsible for the coup fostered a legacy of intolerance, extremism, and terrorism that destabilized the country.

Reflecting on Bhutto’s vision, Minister Imrani called on the citizens and current leadership to embody Bhutto’s ideals to foster national development, restore prosperity, and ensure peace, aiming to transform Pakistan into a beacon of peace and prosperity.