Adil Najam
News is just breaking that former Prime Minister and head of the Pakistan People’s Party, Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi in a terrorist attack.
She was gunned down by an assasin who then blew himself up in a suicide attack. This happened at teh end of her rally in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi; the same place where Liaqat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first Prime Minister was assassinated. Major news networks are now reporting that following bomb blasts at Benazir Bhutto’s rally in Rawalpindi, shots were fired directly targeting her. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari says that one of these shots hit her in the neck and killed her.
According to early BBC reports:
Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a presumed suicide attack, a military spokesman has announced on TV. Earlier reports said Ms Bhutto had only been injured and taken to hospital.
Ms Bhutto had just addressed a pre-election rally in the town of Rawalpindi when the bomb went off. At least 15 other people are reported killed in the attack and several more were injured. Ms Bhutto had twice been the country’s prime minister. She was campaigning ahead of elections due in January.
‘She expired’
The explosion occurred close to an entrance gate of the park in Rawalpindi where Ms Bhutto had been speaking. Benazir Bhutto had been addressing rallies in many parts of Pakistan
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar initially said that Ms Bhutto was safe. But later he told the BBC that Ms Bhutto had died. Another member of the PPP, Wasif Ali Khan, told the Associated Press news agency from the Rawalpindi General Hospital: “At 6:16 pm (1316 GMT) she expired.”
I, like most Pakistanis, am still too numb with shock and grief to think coherently about what has happened or what the implications of this are for teh country and for the world. But this I know, whether you agreed with her political positions or not you cannot but be in shock. Even as I type these lines I am literally shaking. Hers was a tragic life story. So tragic that had it not been real no one would have believed it.
At this point all sorts of thoughts float through the politics of this. Why did this happen? Why was it not stopped? What could have been done to stop this senseless murder? Maybe she should not have come back? Who did this? What will this mean for the elections? What will this mean for the PPP? What will this mean for Gen. Musharraf? What will this mean for Pakistan? But all of these are paled by thoughts about Benazir as a person. The woman. The wife. The mother. The human being. What about her?
I have not always agreed with her politically but there was always a respect for her political courage. I had met her many times, first as a journalist covering her when she had just returned to Pakistan in the Zia era and before she became Prime Minister. Later a number of times in her two stints as Prime Minister and thena few times during her exile. In that last period she toll to referring to me as “Professor sahib” and some of our exchanges were more candid (at least on my part) than they had been earlier.
At a human level this is a tragedy like no other. Only a few days ago I was mentioning to someone that the single most tragic person in all of Pakistan - maybe all the world - is Nusrat Bhutto. Benazir’s mother. Think about it. Her husband, killed. One son alledgedly poisoned. Another son assasinated. Daughter rises to be Prime Minister twice, but jailed, exiled, and finally gunned down.
Today, in shock, I can think only of Benazir Bhutto the human being. Tomorrow, maybe, I will think of politics.
Why are we looking for scapegoats!!!
Why are we still playing the blame game?
It would only be fair to leave aside the topic of if Ms. Bhutto was good or bad. But I don’t understand why now in our emotions we have turned pro Bhutto.
I think it is high time we accept the fact that we have huge extremist problem in our country (which many of the people here tend to deny).
Please don’t take me wrong I am not a Musharaf supporter but he has been attacked as well, his own army and air force were involved, there was failed rocket launcher attack at his home. Members of his party were attacked, Sherpao just few week ago, Core Commander Sindh etc.
And number of attacks on army that we don’t hear about in Tribal area. My point is that we should leave this Pakistani blame culture and start accepting the facts.
Yes Musharaf might be the worst thing that happened to this country, but any leader would have started these operations against pro-Taliban under the circumstance; the reaction would have been the same i.e. what we see today.
There was a mention of root causes the root cause is no this government or any government, they have just open the lid. We need to stand against these elements in our country that are misusing the name of Islam and the country, and stop this killing no matter it be of BB or anyone else.
Think as Human not as politicians or loyalist.
Christian, who is “praising their assasins”? I have not heard anyone do that.
I must say, after watching the funeral procession, my heart is again broken and listening to the news I cannot believe they are praising their assassins for killing this woman! I find that just totally inhuman, and completely demonic!!!
Bhutto laid to rest:
http://www.vidpk.com/view_video.php?vid=4915
@PC:thanks for your comments and concerns, some very valid point. BTW don’t worry about the Pakistan nuclear weapons; emergency and assassination’s happens in any country (India Indra Ghandi, USA kennedy), it has nothing to do with Pakistan nuclear weapon security. You know it better than us, if security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon would have been weak, India or USA would have destroyed it long long time ago.
BTW just an advice, go and read the USA news papers, they have a news about 3-4 months ago about two USA pilots carrying live nuclear weapons and flying it all over the USA, that is the ultimate example of weak security and irresponsible behavior of handling nuclear weapons.
I am sad ! I being an Indian and an avid Pakistan watcher was quite sure that BB will be able to take Pakistan out of the mess it has created for itself in the past few years.
Although I remember that Taliban got full support and Terrorism in Indian side of JK was at its peak during her tenure however this time she was invited to speak at India Conclave in New Delhi and she sounded a very different person. She spoke of progress, eradicating poverty and terrorism, She spoke of how Pakistan would like to be in good terms with Afganistan and India (currently which is not !!!). She also gave interviews to some of the private news channels and her body language confirmed whatever she said.
Now that she is no more, It is time for some introspection for all the Pakistanis. Where would they like their country to be in the next one decade.
Options are
A) Ruled by the same people who have looted it for years and be in a similar situation (we call it a failed state).
B) Taliban and Jihadis taking over Pakistan and even worse its neuclear wepons. God forbid if they use it against US or even against India both being big enough countries might lose a city or so but it can have frightning repurcussions for Pakistan for no fault of most of its population.
C) Progress towards becoming a Superpower like India and China.
I don’t want to sound derogatory but when you people say that all the politicians are thugs and scoundrels have you ever thought about where they came from ??? They came from within you people. And unfortunately I can’t see even a single person available in Pakistani politics who can take Pakistan out of this mess…. or maybe it could be Mr Mushraff.
May BB’s soul rest in peace…
How are you affected by Bhutto’s death?
Marketplace, the public radio business show from American Public Media is reaching out to people who have Pakistani family, business or political ties. We hope you might take a few minutes to help us understand how the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will affect some 210,000 Pakistani-Americans.
To respond to our query and be a source for public radio, please go to: http://americanpublicmedia.org/pin/bhuttoquery
How will Bhutto’s death or the aftermath affect your or your family’s plans to travel to Pakistan or to vote in the parliamentary election? How might it change the number of people who immigrate to the United States from Pakistan?
We are interested to know how her death will affect Pakistan’s growing information technology outsourcing industry. Pakistan had been a leader among emerging markets, but will the assassination of Bhutto affect the willingness of investors worldwide to put their money into Pakistani companies?
Thank you, and please forward the query to anyone whose insights could help inform our reporting on this topic.
Thank you in advance for your help,
Sharon McNary
Analyst, Public Insight Journalism
smcnary@americanpublicmedia.org
I don’t know which ‘Benazirian’ here is defending the burning of ambulances?! No one! TV Commentators are saying that the first wave of protests come in the form of burning and destruction. This is followed by seasoned looters who thrive on the ripe playfields of Pakistan’s political violence.
But I won’t rule out supporters of BB are involved in burning ambulances: They reflect the society at large and had it been some other party which had faced such trauma then similar scenes could not be ruled out. Heck, when our dear president can beat up lawyers and NGOs then what to expect of others?