Adil Najam
Today, April 4, marks the death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
There is probably no other political figure since Mohammad Ali Jinnah who has left as deep and lasting a shaddow on Pakistan politics as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB). You can love him or hate him, but you cannot possibly ignore him.
Those who love him, love him with a passion that few – if any – other Pakistani leaders evoke. Those who hate him – and many seem to do – do so with equal ferocity. No one I know is indifferent to him.
I use the words “love” and “hate” because the intensity of people’s views on him cannot really be captured by dispassionate terms such as “like” and “dislike” alone. Whatever else we might think of him, no one can deny his intensity, or the intensity with which Pakistanis of all generations – including those who have never even seen him – talk about him.
So today, on his death anniversary, let me not talk about my views on him. Let him talk to us himself. In his own words and in his own unique and passionate style.
People remember him thats enough! people still vote for his name! how many time army and establishment will stop!
He is loved loathed and even his worst enemies respected him for his conviction! a politician of class!
na tera Pakista hai..
na mera Pakista hai..
jis ka Pakistan hai..
wo Bhutto khandan hai..
Just a minor point re posting of PakAm Muslim says:
April 4th, 2008 7:58 pm.
I do not know much about being a Muslim but was not it Mr Bhutto who declared Ahmadis non Muslims and thus made millions of Pakistanis lives awful.
Is this not a fact that every Pakistani leader from Quaid to Mushraff (except Gen. Zia) enjoyed wine and whiskey and Bhuotto was the one who banned drink, but continued to drink himself, so the most of the upper classes. Unless we face facts honestly we will never become a democracy. Nation needs to look at itself inorder to be around another 60 years.
The fate of his faith, like all of ours, is between him and Allah alone.
Good article and generally very nice comments too. ‘you can love him or hate him, but you cannot possibly ignore him’ is equally correct. Mr. Kaiser has a point that many agree with, only history will validate it or otherwise. ZAB had charisma that pulled the crowds around him, had the intelligence to lead and his followers be loved, had ample time at his disposal to make this country what the founding fathers wanted it to be but somehow somewhere he got distracted, made a few blunders, a few grave ones, and he was doomed, very unfortunate! His end should not have been the way it did but then it is the destiny……of the likes of him.
May Allah bless his soul.