Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah paid tribute on October 18 to those killed in the Karsaz tragedy, saying their sacrifices strengthened Pakistan’s democratic foundations and remain a lasting reminder of the cost of that struggle.
In a statement marking the day, he called the 2007 attack on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supporters a cowardly act. Those supporters had gathered in Karachi to welcome former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her return to the country. Murad Ali Shah said the martyrs had written a new chapter of courage, and that the pain of the tragedy still feels fresh for many Pakistanis.
What happened on the Karsaz route
On 18 October 2007, Karachi’s streets filled to receive Benazir Bhutto after an eight-year self-imposed exile spent in Dubai and London. She greeted supporters and party workers from a rallying truck as the procession moved from the airport toward Quaid-e-Azam’s tomb.
About halfway along that route, just after the truck crossed a bridge, two explosions struck in front of the vehicle. In the ensuing terrorism incident, around 180 PPP workers were killed. Despite the blasts, the chief minister said, party supporters risked their own lives to protect Benazir Bhutto.
What the Sindh CM said
Murad Ali Shah said October 18 serves as a reminder of enduring sacrifices made for democracy. He pledged that those losses would not be forgotten in vain and that the PPP remains committed to carrying its mission forward.
He added that President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are continuing the democratic struggle begun by the party’s martyrs. The anniversary message framed remembrance as both grief and political continuity for the party’s Karachi base and supporters elsewhere.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Before 18 October 2007: Benazir Bhutto lived in self-imposed exile for eight years, based in Dubai and London.
- 18 October 2007: Crowds in Karachi welcomed her return; two explosions hit near her rallying truck on the airport-to-mausoleum route after it crossed a bridge.
- 18 October 2007: Around 180 PPP workers were killed in what is remembered as the Karsaz tragedy.
- October 18 (anniversary statement): The Sindh chief minister paid tribute to the Karsaz martyrs, calling the attack cowardly and linking their sacrifice to Pakistan’s democratic foundations.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sindh ke Wazir-e-Ala Murad Ali Shah ne 18 October ko Karsaz ke shuhada ko yaad kiya. 2007 mein Benazir Bhutto ki wapsi par Karachi mein do dhamakon se lagbhag 180 PPP workers shaheed hue the. Unhon ne kaha ke yeh qurbaniyan democracy ke liye thin aur bekar nahi jayengi. Aam logon ke liye yeh din us gham aur himmat ki yaad hai jo party ke kaarkunon ne us waqt dikhayi.
