Chairman Speech- Closing Ceremony English Translation

People of Thatta, I am very grateful to you for giving such a warm welcome to Sindh Festival. I am very honoured and pleased that I am addressing at the very first capital of Sindh, which holds its significance and identity in its own way. From its Keenjhar Lake, which is the second largest lake in Pakistan, to Makli, the oldest necropolis of the world, Thatta is surely the heartbeat of Sindh. I am very happy that I have been successful in bringing people from all over the world to Thatta today. I am hopeful that we will keep on having more such progammes here in the near future. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw a dream. In that dream, I was telling the world that we are not what they think of us. I want to tell the world that we are heir to a culture, which since 5000 years has been the most cultured civilisation of the world. We are neither Arabs that we be considered of their culture nor are we the product of the western colonisation. We have our own identity, but sadly it is being snatched away from us. Through Sindh Festival, we have shown the world that we are not terrorists but rather a victim of terrorism itself. Our country is in danger, our culture is in danger, our heritage is in danger, our civilisation is in danger. Our rulers, our educational institutions, our clerics and our madrassas have hid the truth from us. In the name of Pakistan Studies, we have been taught the wrong history. In the name of Islamiat, the shape of our religion has been totally changed. We can tell the difference between Islam and the pre-Islamic Arab culture. Even though they wanted us to forget ourselves, but we have not forgotten who we are. They wanted us to bow down, but we did not bow. They wanted to suppress us, but we did not get suppressed. They wanted to break us down, but we did not

break. When they failed, they started attacking us. They rained bombs at us to make us forget who we are. Through violence, they want to take us back to the Stone Age and make us barbarians like themselves. However, they do not know that we were far more civilised 5000 years back than what they are today. They do not know who we are, but we know who we are and what our destination is. Terrorism, sectarianism and such hypocrisy can only end when we are aware of the reality. There is no need for us to mold ourselves to a different colour because the colours of our heritage and culture are so deep and bright that no tsunami of terrorism will ever be able to wash it away. With nothing but just this aim, we have started a new beginning by bringing the Sindh festival for all of you. To save our heritage and culture, and to fulfill our dreams, we created Sindh Festival. My friends, you yourself have seen and the whole world has seen it, from the time of Moenjo Daro and till now we have been the ambassadors of peace in this part of the world. I am congratulating all those who have helped in pulling off the Sindh Festival in such a memorable way. Pakistan is brought back to life and happiness has returned. Gatherings of music and dance, cultural festivities and recreational activities have rejuvenated Pakistan once again, and today Pakistan is smiling back at us. My friends, some people wanted to call our efforts a crime, and they are the same people who want us to forget Moenjo Daro and ourselves. I want to tell these people that this festival is the new life of Sindh. I want to congratulate all those who have helped us in making my Sindh and my Pakistan come to life again. Moenjo Daro is being targeted because it is located in Larkana. They have issues because I inaugurated the festival from Larkana, the city that is the hometown of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the resting place of our Shaheed Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto, the city of Sindh from where civilisation of the world actually started. They

cannot digest the fact that we could have called people from all over the world to Sindh to demonstrate that we are alive. Today, in the name of Islam they are trying to bring back the Stone Age. I want to tell these people that Sindh was the fort of Islam from the beginning and even today it upholds the flag of Islam. Sindh has been the gateway of Islam in the subcontinent. We spread the message of Islam in this region and we have upheld the flag of Islam since then. Today, the Taliban want to impose their version of Islam through terror and oppression. They threaten us that either we accept their so-called Shariat or they will bomb us. I want to tell them that you cannot find Islam by building human slaughterhouses, and this is not Islam. You think you can open the doors of Jannah by butchering countless people. I am the son of the soil of Sindh. I have opened my eyes at the Babul Islam [gateway of Islam]. Me, the grandson of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the son of the daughter of the east, Benazir Bhutto, want to tell you that Islams message is of humanity, of serving the people. Islam is when the whole of Pakistan was ready to die while mourning the death of BB, Asif Ali Zardari for the sake humanity cooled down the fire that erupted in Pakistan. Today, we have shown what Sindh really is, and have proven that we are the torch-bearers of humanity and peace. Yes, we know what Islam, is so dont try to tell us what it is. Those who teach the wrong history, dont forget that we are the nation who did the first translation of Quran in our own language- Sindhi and spread the message of Islam. Quran was translated for the first time here and it is the gateway of Islam. We also know the meaning of the Shariat, so dont try to teach us. I want to remind you that we are the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, if you want to live here then follow our law and accept Islami Shariat. We do not believe in your barbaric ways and your law of jungle. If you want to talk about the Shariat, so go talk to the real scholars, our teachers, and our Shariat courts. Accept the Charter of Medina rather than teaching us your black law

and quit dreaming about imposing your law because we are the torchbearers and we are ready to wage a Jihad against you. Fear the time when the entire nation will be united against you chanting the slogan of Damma Dam Mast Qalandar and you will find no escape. Damma Dam Mast Qalandar my friends, the world has seen that the farmers of Sindh even today love its soil and resources as much as it did thousands of years of ago. The world has seen that the youth of Sindh comes to the competition ground and knows how to win and how to accept its defeat with dignity. The world has seen that we have our sports and we have our talent, our skills, our music, and our recitation of Quran-e-Paak. We know how to sing, how to laugh, how to dance, how to compete, how to celebrate basant and from fashion show, film festival, our voice of Pakistan to our art festival we know it all. As we accomplished our film festival, we know how to bring the Oscar award. We did the art festival and we have offered artists like Sadequain and Gul Ji to the world. We know how to give noble prizewinners like Abdul Salam to the world. Our country knows how to innovate and invent all kinds of innovations and our nation knows all the skills of the world. We are no less than any of the nations of the world, we are Pakistanis, but far more than that we are humans and we are proud of our culture. My friends, there are a few people who are talking about negotiations and peace talks, someone please tell them that we have become all alone in this world, people think of us as barbaric from the old times. Unfortunately, those supporting negotiations are obliging to these terrorists. Time is running fast and you dont realise that a storm is coming our way. It is the dire need of the hour that we must show a civilised face to the world. We must show the world that we are not what they think we are. I am addressing to the notables and intellectuals in Pakistan and ask them that 65 years before when Qaid-e-Azam created Pakistan, werent there these very same people opposing its creation? They called our leader kaafir-e-

azam and called Pakistan a Na-Pakistan. If only Qaid-eAzam had bowed down to their demands, what would have been of Pakistan today? How can we today bow down to the same miscreants today? How can we accept that these killers are heir of Islam? How can we accept that they understand our Shariat better than us? Who are they to teach us what Islam is? You suggest we hold peace talks, lets do it but what will come of it? What happened in Swat? Has the nation forgotten about Sufi Muhammad? Has the nation forgotten how the writ of government was constituted in Swat during PPPs government? For sure lets have the peace talks, but I know what their answer will be. If you want the answer, go talk to the mother of that young soldier who chants the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad at the martyrdom of her own son. Go talk to the families of the martyred policemen. If you have the gut then go speak to my nations widows, go speak to the parents of those who have lost their children or to the sisters whose brothers have been butchered. Go speak to the brothers who lost their sisters out on the streets. If you really want an answer, ask me the son the of BB Shaheed, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. I am the voice of Shohda, ask me, I know what they will write to you in their replies and we all know. My friends, the answer to our problems will not get solved through talks. What will be the result of these talks? Our nations daughters will be treated the same way as Malala, while the sons will be treated just the way Aitzaz was treated. Our festivals, our melas, our Urs, will be taken down by at the hands of the ignorant. Our sisters will not be allowed to get outside and our daughters will be stopped from schools. Our women will not even be allowed to drive the cars at the hands of such bigotry. The mazaar of our Qaid, minar-e-Pakistan and our Garhi Khuda Baksh will be treated the same way as our Qaids house was treated in Ziarat. Please remember what I said, we cannot possibly live the way its being preached by them cause it will destroy us and we will have to face the world as it

requires us to be like. Through Sindh Festival we have shown the world that we are alive and we are hand in hand with the contemporary world. I want to tell the terrorists that Sindh is the Babul Islam and it will also be the battleground where we will fight and save our Islam from these terrorists. I have already showered Sindh with peace flowers, now these flowers will be showered in my Pakhtoon Khwa. The slogans of peace will be chanted and heard all over Balochistan. Calls for love will soon erupt from the skies of Kashmir and GB. Beams of light will shine through my Punjab as well. The slogans of Bhutto will be chanted in all four provinces, long live Bhutto Benazir, we promise you that there will be peace and prosperity in every nook and corner of Pakistan. My supporters and helpers, our feet maybe injured, keep walking to the path, along with everybody, let your chains shine through, my supporters, with your actions mold your fate and behold, Many Firowns will just drown away, and once again let us all chant our slogan, holding hands and in unison-Be proud of your culture and love Pakistan. I will die but not give Sindh away, Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Pakistan Zindabaad.