A large number of the photographs in the F.E. Chaudhry Collection are of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during the time of the Bhutto Primiership. None are more riveting for those interested in Pakistan’s history than the one of Mr. Bhutto’s trial in the Lahore High Court during 1978.
In the last installment from the F.E. Choudhry Gallery we brought you scenes of public agitation from outside the Lahore High Court where Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s trial was proceeding. Today we bring you some amazing photographs from inside the Lahore High Court.
These pictures are amazing indeed. If you did not know of the context you would never guess that the smartly dressed, confident, self-assured man in all of them is the “accused” being led by his captives to court. It truly reminds one of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s immortal verse:
jiss dhajj say koee maqtal meiN gaya
woh shaan salamat rehti hai,
Yeh jaan tou aani jaani hai
iss jaan ki koee baat nahiN
If one did not know of the context one could easily assume that this is a confident Prime Minister, walking with his head held high, accompanied by his security detail. Instead, what it actually is a deposed Prime Minister being taken to court for a mock trial by the dictator who disposed him and surrounded by his captors and guards. He walks elegantly and confidently in and out of the court while police escorts follows keeping a respectful distance as if led by Mr. Bhutto into a state function.
These four photographs attest to Mr. Bhutto’s sense of dress and decorum, but even more to his sense of history. Each one rivals the others in terms of Bhutto’s formal attire. Of course, Mr. Bhutto knew the fate that awaited him and in some ways he dressed not just for that moment, but for that fate. His sense of defiance was reflected through his choice of clothes and his calm, confident and self-assured appearance.
All these photographs from chacha F.E. Chaudhry, but especially this next one, also demonstrate what leadership really is. It comes not just from the office but from the person. It is the police that is supposed to be “leading” Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to court, and he who is supposed to be “following” them. Instead, it is very clear for all to see who is “leading” whom. Those with the guns and batons are “following” the dictates of a dictator. Those whose spirit they are meant to break, a man of many faults no doubts, walks with his head held high because he “leads” with his conscience.
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Among the unfortunate events in Pakistan history and there are many is how opposition “Qomi Ittihad” and Zia dealt with Bhutto.
I grew up in an environment and family that was opposed to PPP and gave full support to Qomi Ittihad but over the years I have grown to like Bhutto and have reconciled my differences with him.
After so many years (almost 3 decades), the cliche that one can hate or love Bhutto should be replaced with balanced approach that is to reconcile the autocratic and democratic sides of Bhutto.
Bhutto was charismatic, modern, intelligent, witty and master of drama. One should also read his books that speak volume about his grasp of foreign affairs and his love for Pakistan. He was also brutal, brute, and egotistical.
Stanley Wolpert portrays Bhutto a product of two world both liberal and feudal. It is his feudal self that led to his downfall and earned him wrath of most urban Pakistanis whereas his liberal and populist self earned him love and respect and tribute.
No doubt feudal self got better of him but that did not and will not justify what happened to him. He was and will remain portrait of definace against the military injustices. “tum kitnay Bhutto maro gay, hur ghar se Bhutto niklay ga”.
He was our Andrew Jackson. Someone who brought politics and politicians to people; with whom people could associate themselves.
For those who still have not reconciled with Bhutto, let me leave you with some humorous slogans:
“Ganjay ke sar par hal challay ga, aaj nahi to kal chalay ga.”
“Opper se geri talwar, Bhutto ki path gae shalwar.
Note: Hal was election symbol for Qomi Ittihad and Talwar was PPP.
The guy knew how to connect with people. “roti kapra makan” “shalwar Kameez”.
I pay my tribute and respect to Bhutto and family, the defiant democrats of Pakistan.
Amazing photos!! He is truly confident and a leader till the end. Lets for a moment put aside what good or bad he did for the country, lets just see what he was starring at death. The man lost everything he created and now he is on a trial for his life, yet he is making a choice in every step he is taking to be a leader, not losing sense of himself. Usually a coward would hide or ask to be spared but not Bhutto, in all these photo he is leading the pack. Below are few lines translated from Col. Rafi-ud-Din’s book:
“After I left his cell, Mr. Bhutto shaved in the presence of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Khawaja Ghulam Rasul at 7:05 p.m. During the shave he had the following conversation with the Deputy Superintendent: Deputy Sahib, where will you find a leader like me? But why would you need a leader like me in the first place? I am needed by the poor, not by the likes of you. I used to make speeches to mochis (cobblers) at Mochi Gate because I am a mochi myself. You people are taking away the leader of the poor from them. I am a revolutionary. I am a supporter of the poor. Yaar, if you had to kill me, why didn’t you kill me two years back? Why didn’t you respect me like the whole world does? I could have been kept in a rest house and could have been killed with dignity. Today, the Chairman of the Islamic Council, who was selected by Muslims all over the world, cannot even shave on his own. You are standing near me so that I don’t hurt myself with the blade. Yes, another thing, yaar, I have troubled you a lot, please forgive me.”
Do you see why Bhutto is still a hero for many of us…
I am too young to remember Bhutto. But these re impressive pictrues, The confidence and character shown in each one of them is such that if he was here now I would feel like following him.
Excellent pictures. Bhutto was full of faults, but he really was a leader. That is why his party has survived. His charisma was unparralleled.
By all accounts, Bhutto was confident Zia would not dare to hang him the “leader of the third world”, “champion of Islam” and the “greatest leader since Jinnah himself”.
I have often felt Mr. Bhutto’s acumen was over played. He made horrible mistakes and in retreat he resembles General Musharraf. Bhutto retreated on several issues where even lesser men took a stand.
All in all ZAB did not live up to whatever “potential” we want to attribute to him and his political legacy was not liberal democracy but Zia’s Islamization. It is Bhutto who laid the foundation of what was to come under Zia. Zia responded to a decade of Pan-islamic sentiment and “hum mustafvi hain” songs drilled into Pakistanis after the fall of Dhaka (which forced the Pakistani state to rely on Islam instead of Muslim nationhood as justification for Pakistan). Zia was thus the handiwork of Bhutto handpicked by the PM himself.
And as Eidee said he created the largest political party blah blah… he also blocked the way for the largest Pakistani political party ie Awami League.
Pakistan would have been a different country had Mujeeb been allowed to come to power then.
Now coming to the pictures…only the first picture is impressive because Bhutto still is in good health.
But his confidence seems to be shattered and he seems to be a man at the end of his wits in all the rest.