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.
The only people who could possibly be smiling today are the terrorists who did this
Adil , don’t be naive. You also know that shooters have no brains. they do what they are told for. Is it not better to list down beneficiaries of Bhutto’s death?
1)Musharaf: He was already under pressure and was forced to shake hands with BB which he never wanted. Also Mush knew that presence of Bhutto and her influence which we all witnessed in Karachi on 18th was scary for him since it was sure that Bhutto was not going to re-elect him anyway since Bhutto already experienced Leghari in her past era. While there is no more Bhutto, there is no need of any kind of deal anymore to stay in power plus Musharraf also successfully removed the trump card of US which could play main role in future Pakistani politics.
2)Chudharies: Pretty clear. PPP was the only threat for them. I remember what onc Shujat said in Hamir Mir’s “capital talk” that he could do anything which could HARM benazir and PPP so recent incident is severe shock for PPP.
3)Nawaz Sharif: Benazir and Sharif were rivals so naturally Sharif is quite satisfied now since He also knows that PML-Q is alive due to Musharraf and sooner or later He will be in power with great majority.
4)MQM: MQM always blamed PPP for mid 90s crisis. Also, MQM now contesting outside of Karachi as well including Sind therefore absence of Benazir would naturally benefit them to take more seats in SInd and make alliance with PML-Q and rule again.
5)Fazlur-Rahman: Must be dreaming for future P.M
I personally find no concrete advantage Al-qaeda could again since they don’t do politics in Pakistan. Even if it was done by Mehsood & CO then it’s quite clear those militants were used by any or one of beneficiaries mentioned above so I don’t buy any lame theory given by Govt to hide the sins. Yes if one prefers to live in fools’ paradise then could happily follow what’s being said by Govt or in media.
Q: Pakistan After Benazir?
A: Lootmar ,Ghunda Gardi, mistreating Women,burning buildings. Looting factories. This is all has been happening in Karachi for last 2 days.
my friend who lives in Gulistan Johar told that residents of near by goth(village) mistreated women of near by areas by touching them. It was later complaint to Sector Incharge(of MQM) of area who later found out those guys and gunned down.
some guys took away ladies from a car and beaten up the guy. the later guy complaint to some MPA about this tragic incident. Those ladies were found out later but no idea whether they were “safe” from those morons or not.
Benazir is no more but reaction of her death is more severe and harmful for Pakistan. It seems like we re in 1947 area.
I personally witnessed atleast 20 burnt vehicles on a single fly over near Ghareeb abad.
Foriegn newspapers now whining again about nuclear risk and destabilized Pakistan. Everything is going according to plan to make this country more vulnerable. Who’s doing that? *shrug*
Sawal yeh hai, kisi ko mulk ki fikar hai? Kyoon jalaya ja raha hai mera Pakistan? Kyoon koi in logon ko nahi rokta? Maut Allah kay hath mein hoti hai and maut kay baad jaanay walay ki maghfirat ki dua karni chahyay…Pakistan kisi ki jaageer nahi jo usay ujara ja raha hai.
I was stunned on reading Richard Reeve’s criticism of
the US intervention in Pakistan written as an obituary
for Benazir Bhutto.
http://tinyurl.com/nb4xq
In the last quarter of the 19th century, around the same time as Dadabhai Nauroji was working on Poverty and un-British Rule in India, and Sir Arthur Cotton and Florence Nightingale from a Christian ethos were fighting against the British speculators who were pushing for investing in the railways rather than in irrigation projects — William Digby — a British humanist was writing a book called the Famine Campaign in Southern India. The essential argument of the 200 page pamphlet based on painstaking archival research and field trips to famine relief campaigns was that the British should leave the Indians – the native rulers to manage their own affairs. The evidence, he said clearly pointed that there were more famine deaths in British ruled areas than in the native ruled areas. Digby’s prescription was based on the premise that the empire had a responsibility towards its subjects – a responsibility that could not be discharged without recognizing the fact that the subjects were somehow differently constituted. They will remain incomprehensible to the neat calculations of the statistically minded efficient administrators from Britain. This acknowledgement that the crown was betraying its subjects remains the corner stone of liberal critiques of imperialism — including Dadabhai Nauroji’s. The only difference is that for the western it is a matter of despair and horror at its own helplessness. For the native it is a matter of outrage.
Benazir’s death demands more than imperial tears. But
only a Pakistani can meet that demand. Until that voice finds itself, there is a book that I highly recommend — Udaas Naslein, translated as Weary Generations – in many ways the first post colonial novel — long before Salman Rushdie.
http://tinyurl.com/2rtwpa
The writer Abdullah Hussain is a retired chemical engineer who runs a liquor store in England. Rakshanda Jalil interviewed him for the Hindu in 2005.
Hello Adil Najam:
I heard your piece on national public radio today (friday 28 december) and I must say I have become your fan. Your commentary was very fair and not bias like I have been listening the past 2 days. You were right on her legacy would be her last name (Bhutto). In larkana and in that part of Pakistan she will always be considered a Queen, a daughter of shaheed, to the west she was a Faminist, a women leader who came into power. But she came to power because of Bhutto dynasty and in the near future when another Bhutto( Fatima, Bilawal, etc.) comes into picture , they will continue the agenda of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and will have the same respect as the previous Bhuttos have had in that region. There is no doubt in my mind that if this had happen few years ago, Benazir would not have gotten this kind of coverage. The only reason she has gotten this kind of coverage is because west had all their hopes on Benazir and now this has been a blow to their strategy.
This brings me to a point you mentioned that due to the strategic location of Pakistan, outside forces have directed who to be in power and have influenced coups. Because in a straight mind how could have one supported Benazir or Nawaz as a prime minister. They both have failed twice and failed miserably, so its not like PPP or PML was going to bring some kind of revolution like it has been potrayed in the news past few days.
But the credit has to be given that she was an advocate of democracy. She might not know how to run one, or organize a government with check and balance, but she certainly advocated that and I think that is what she should be remembered for.
I know my comment has gotten long, but this is my first post and after I listened to you on radio, I will definitely be a regular visitor. In conclusion you talked about the history of pakistan leaders that they were either killed, taken down with disgrace, or jailed. If I had one wish I would have wished that when Pakistan was created I wish the founding fathers, MA Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, etc. would have lived at least 10 years after the creation to draw a map for us to follow. It just makes me cry that their amazing vision I know would have taken Pakistan to the top. Just so sad. Once again sorry for the long post again.