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 assassin who then blew himself up in a suicide attack. This happened at the 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 the 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 assassinated. 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.
I was watching BBC few hours back, the angrez analyst was pretty amazed on statement of Brig.Cheema that Al-Qaeda was involved in killing and they said they intercepted a tape about bhutto between Mehsood and some other person. According to that guy, West is surprised about this too early conclusion. US said they would do their own investigation(which would ultimately not different than what Cheema said). Those names which were mentioned by Mohtarma are still free and roaming around were not even thought to take her letter seriously and got rejected at first place. I personally believe that situation is in favor of govt and Gujrat brothers since election could be posponded and they have gotrid of biggest threat in upcoming election. as usual things will not be declassified and we would just making personal guesses about her death.
Dil ko behlana ko ghalib ye khyal acha hay
p.s: Internet in Karachi was down for hours due to recent mob activities.
I really don’t know how to put all this in words.Its such a tragic and testing time for us.I hope all the politicians lay stress on peace and harmony instead of pointing fingers.
Paksitan would not survive if there was no God. God does things for reasons. After hearing American TV coverage yesterday many questions come in mind. Many people in the streets do not understand things going on international level.
But the one understands find things are happening based on circumstances surrounded around Pakistan.Rulers are given Job to do by God and if they truly understand their duty some times they have to make decisions which are not popular but they know better. All we have to do is trust them.
One thing is very clear that enemy of Pakistan wants to see Pakistan destabilized and they are happy to see that happening. I am afraid If we do not put our acts together and do not understand International politics , we will be history soon.Every word spoken on this board by a Pakistani Citizen should be in the lines with the interest of Pakistan.
Once we reach to this level we will be fine.
@RE,
I don’t know if you realize it or not but you sound like a mouthpiece of the Pakistani establishment!
1) Why should this govt. ‘stay’? Who the hell gave Mush the right to decide what is good for Pakistan?
2) BB may have said that as the ‘last resort’ she may seek American help in the tribal areas. Well, Musharraf has actually done that repeatedly, secretly already. No use trying to be too pure about it.
3) You want fair elections? Then why couldn’t Musharraf find a few dozen neutral Pakistanis to form the caretaker setup?
4) By cracking down on the judiciary, media, human right activists, political workers and lawyers–all essential part of the Pakistani society, frankly Musharraf sounds more like Mullah Umar than the ‘liberal’ I mistook him for too long. Musharraf’s ‘liberalism’ is only social: Allow music etc. But when it comes to the real issues–the future of Pakistan–he is a tinpot dictator whose days are numbered.
5) Finally, tell us: Under whose absolute rule Pakistan has burned for past 5-6 years? Tell us: Who bred these bearded fundos to wage ‘jihad’ against the Soviets and India? I am not going to absolve American role but post 1989 it was the Pakistani military who were the real culprit. Now, there is a change of heart forced by internal/external circumstances but putting the blame on the politicians is a very ignorant and cruel.
6) Musharraf had marginalized the mainstream parties to the extent that the fundos filled the vacuum in the Frontier.
7) The war in Frontier cannot be won by military action alone. While your coward general hides in the Presidency Pakistani soldiers are being slaughtered there. While your coward general lives like a hermit the heroes of Pakistani people like the judges and now BB come out exposed and confront problems.
Even before the dust has settled from the blast