Adil Najam
Benazir Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan, now lies under six feet of earth in Garhi Khuda Bux, her ancestral village, in a grave next to her equally mercurial father, the late Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
As the graphic above (click to enlarge) from Boston Globe shows, hers – like her father’s – was a brilliant but tragic life. Tragically ended.
Now she is buried. But I suspect that the Benazir saga is far from over. Indeed, just as all of Pakistan’s politics after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s hanging was contextualized by his hanging, all of Pakistan’s politics after Benazir’s assasination is likely to be contextualized by Benazir’s assasination.
In the immediate aftermath of this tragic death, the country continues to reel in grief at what has happened, fear about what might happened, and immense immense anger and everything that has been happening. As I argued in an op-ed in the New York Daily News today, this mix of grief, anger and fear is a very dangerous combination. It cannot lead to any good.
Right now the scenes we see on our screens are of mayhem, of devastation, of further violence, of destruction. These are not good images for Pakistan and certainly these are not the Benazir Bhutto would have wanted as her legacy. We at ATP have written many many times about the climate of anger that defines modern Pakistan (here here, here, here, here, etc.). This anger is the single most disturbing and single most defining motif of today’s Pakistan. Right now – and not without reason – the anger is being directed at Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf’s government. Much of this should, but not in this way.
More important to note is who the anger is not being directed at. I hope that the legacy of Benazir Bhutto’s untimely and tragic death is a legacy of a society that seizes this moment to reassert its demand for democracy and to recognize that extremist violence is our problem. This is not a mercenary war. This is Pakistan’s own battle. Right now the evidence suggests that society continues to tear at its own self. I fear that it will not change anytime soon. That things are likely to get worse before they become any better. But, I refuse to give up hope. At least, not yet.
As I wrote in my New York Daily News op-ed:
If this moment ends up being defined by Pakistan’s latent anger – if it launches a cycle of crackdowns and protests – it will certainly empower and embolden the militants further. But if it is defined by society’s sense of shared loss, felt grief and the continued movement toward genuine democracy, it might – just might – bring together a fractured society and awaken in them the realization that the common enemies are extremism, violence and terrorism. Then, we might just have half a chance of winning this war on terror. And Benazir Bhutto’s death would not have been in vain.
This is the kind of damage we have endured over the past 48 hours as a nation. We have to stop.
Here is the destruction so far in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto
The next step political question is what to do about the elections. At first I thought they wudl be postponed, now more and more I think they will not. The international community is calling for them. Mush will look bad if he postpones unless PPP itself asks that they should be postponed. For PPP this might mean winning so they could ask for elections.
If our politicians were sincere I wish they would come together and all of them would say together that Musharrf needs to leave immediately and then the judiciary and constitution put back and then free and fair elections by interim govt within a few months. Unfortunately that may not happen but I think that would be the ideal thing.
I wish we all learn from this. A secure Pakistan, where we can send our children without any worries is better than any thing.
Any body who takes the life of a fellow being must be brought to justice. Give Musharraf a chance, he will do it. Don’t detroy Pakistan in his hate, which all of you are doing.
Think to ponder: West lost one of his ally but on the cost of big loss to Pakistani nation. It is not worth for Pakistan. We ourself burned down Rails and Engines worth 10 Arab Rs. It is bad. Where are we as Nation. My children are stuck in Pakistan. They hate it and vowing never to go back to Pakistan. Is it worth?????
I have just read the comments and there is much sense here amongst the points but all of this will be so much dust in the wind if Pakistan can’t learn and move on.
Firstly; As PC (December 29th, 2007 4:38 am) and others (Owais Mughal) have mentioned, why do murders, rapes, sexual assaults, burnings and lootings always accompany a Pakistani protest? How on earth can killing people (6 in one factory alone), or destroying their livelihoods by looting and burning and the trashing of shops, hospitals and roads be classed as acceptable protests against the killing of Ms Bhutto? Sometimes you guys are like walking stereotypes to the rest of the world.
Secondly; Khurram’s points (December 28th, 2007 9:00 pm) are largely well made, but Musharraf didn’t create the extremists – General Zia Ul Haq was the architect of Pakistan
I am surprised at the reaction of supposedly educated folks here!! OK, BB died! She was the last from the Bhutto clan. Bhutto’s have sacrificed all of their children for the sake of constant pursuit of power and hold on both PPP and Pakistan. If Benazir was a democrat visionary she would have ensured that PPP remains a democratic party with strong alternative leadership and not like a bouncing lizards tail after she is dead and gone. Can anyone tell me which leader inside PPP is now capable enough to lead? NONE!! Can anyone tell me which PPP leader has risen from the ranks to ensure that party followers remain calm and focussed and do not go on a rampage? BB made sure of that the helm remained with her at all times than to be a true democrat and groom leadership within her own party ranks. BB was a despot and a dictator just like her father!
The question now is that is PPP capable to survive as a party without the proverbial Bhutto-nipple in its mouth? Rumors are that Asif Ali Zardari is vying to be the next PPP Chairman (for life). This will simply make this once great party’s future in Pakistan even more doubtful!