Pakistan, July 5 -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday strongly condemned the events of July 5, 1977, calling it the "darkest day" in Pakistan's democratic journey. He said the military coup that ousted Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not merely a political disruption but a direct and deliberate assault on democratic values, constitutional supremacy, and the will of the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah stated that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto played a historic role in politically empowering the masses, especially the working class and the poor. "He awakened the political consciousness of this nation-something that dictatorships have always feared," Shah said. He added that the military regime led by General ...