KARACHI, Pakistan 

Thousands gathered to mark the 12th death anniversary of Pakistan's two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto at historic Liaquat Park in the garrison city of Rawalpindi -- the site of her assassination in 2007.

“Long Live Bhutto”, and “Long Live Benazir” were among the slogans raised by emotional activists of Bhutto’s center-left Pakistan Peoples Party when Bilawal Bhutto, her son and also the incumbent party chairman, appeared on the heavily-guarded stage with a life-size picture of her mother in the backdrop.

Bhutto, who served twice as the prime minister -- in 1988-1990 and 1993-1996 -- was assassinated in a suspected suicide attack minutes after she addressed an election rally in Liaquat Park.

Her party and family accused the then-military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf of being involved in the assassination, a charge he denied. Musharraf, who has recently been sentenced to death by a special court for suspending the constitution and imposing a state of emergency in the country in 2007, also stands trial for Bhutto’s murder.

“She [Benazir Bhutto] is still alive in our hearts. Her vision, and philosophy are the driving forces behind us. I will continue my struggle following her vision,” an emotional Bilawal Bhutto said as the supporters waved the tri-color party flags.

“The nation will not forget her struggle against dictatorship, and for democracy,” he said accusing the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan of “ruining” the country’s economy and foreign policy.

Bhutto, who took the party reigns after her father -- the country’s first democratically-elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto -- was sentenced to death in 1979 in line with a controversial Supreme Court judgment in a murder case, became the first ever woman prime minister of the Muslim world in 1988.

Her two governments were dismissed on corruption charges. Asif Zardari, her widower who served as the country’s president in 2008-2013, and several other party leaders are also dogged by corruption accusations.

The country’s anti-corruption authorities, earlier this week, also summoned Bilawal Bhutto in connection with an ongoing inquiry into money laundering allegations against his father. But he refused to appear, terming the corruption cases “political victimization”.