Adil Najam
On the first death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto we had carried a post asking “What if she had not been killed?” Today, on the 22nd death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) it may be a good time to ask the same question about him.
On previous anniversaries of ZAB’s death we have asked you to comment on Mr. Bhutto and his legacy and about the rationale and reasoning given for his death by his nemesis, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. This time let us think a little about what his death meant for Pakistan – and, thereby, for all the rest of us.
Of course, one expects a lot of naara baazi from both his supporters and his detractors. That is merely to be expected. But beyond the black and white slogans there was the man and the legacy of the man that has clearly impacted much of what has happened since his death, especially because of the nature of his removal.
Indeed, one could suggest that there are at least two separate questions here: What might have happened had Zia Ul Haq’s coup not happened and if Bhutto had lived on? And, what might have happened if Bhutto had not been hung after the trial?
How might have the PPP evolved in either of those cases? What would these have meant for Pakistan’s politics as a whole? And Pakistan’s economy and foreign relations? Pakistani institutions?
I am not presupposing any answer, nor am I suggesting that these are questions that can be logically answered precisely. But they may be questions worth thinking about today; not just to speculate about how might have happened, but much more important to think about how our acts of political expediency today can have long and deep shadows – nearly always unintended, quite often consequential, and sometimes historically disastrous even for those who orchestrate them.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Digg
YouTube
The adage:” He who digs a well for others often falls into it”. is an example that fits on nimble fingered Bhutto. He was a curse of Ayub Khan brought on the horizon of Pakistan. Emergence of Bangladesh is the magnum Opus of Bhutto and myopic vision of Pakistani leaders and decision makers of that era and a direct consequence of the planning of Ayub’s administration.He failed to realize that he is surrounded by sycophants and opportunistic wayfarers that are eroding the very foundation of the country. Good thing is that Ayub lived to see fruits of his misdemeanor. Incompetent Yahya Khan could hardly see beyond his underwear was entrusted to watch for the safety of the homeland (including Eastern wing). Failures, national humiliation and miserable catastrophe was written on the wall that the whole world was seeing except the Pakistani Danishwar. It is extremely disgusting to see that Bhutto boosted the morale of the defeated nation. Did’nt he know that defeat is lurking in the face of the nation. He built his empire on the death and destruction of millions of country men. Nature patiently watched and the feckless nation listened to his jargon and boisterous parlance. Among applaud he demanded Koh-e-nur from Britain and created Homoodur Rahman Commission and the outcome is in everybody’s knowledge.The rest is history. The aphorism; ….so shall you reap. The progeny is banished without any one to shed tears.
Was he a seer? Was he a Messiah? We see his legacy in today’s junta’s performance. God save this Millat from modern Neros, who will be fiddling outside their country in the event of any further difficult times. We have to look forward and not lament the past:
Wise men ne’ersit and wail their loss,
But cheerly seek how to redress their harms. (Shakespeare)
Quoting Iqbal:
Poosh un sey jo chaman ke hain dareena razdar,
kiun kar hui khazan teeray gulshan sey ham nabard
Ye chaman yuuhi rahay ga Mahmoor,
……. Aur hazaroon janwar apni apni bolian bol kar aur jainay gay
Khuda Hafiz. Long live ruggedy Pakistan and Pakistanis
Nothing would have changed for common man. Only different faces.
Bhutto was no angel. But the way he was murdered made him a legend. Had he lived, we would probably have forgotten about him.
Pakistan should apologise to Bangladesh for atrocities unconditionally: Imran Khan
http://mindovermatter321.blogspot.com/
@Sahiba Choudhry
“Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto has clear vision and ideology”
Yes, by being a demagogue of the first water, he kept it clean by creating the Frankensteins of the Second Amendment and A.Q. Khan and would have polished it further if alive today. The only good thing he did was that he is not alive today.