Adil Najam
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated one year ago today, December 27.
I remember being in utter shock when I first heard that news. In some ways I am still in shock. Indeed, as our wall of newspaper covers showed, the whole world was in shock. That shock, I believe, is also still alive.
And, yet, so much – so very much – has changed. An elected government holds power. Benazir Bhutto’s arch-nemesis Gen. Pervez Musharraf is no longer President of Pakistan. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, is. We still do not know who was behind her death, but speculation remains rife. The economy remains in nosedive. An energy crisis is upon us. One Chief Justice still awaits reinstatement. Another is embroiled in scandal. War talk with India on the East is the rage. Drones pound us on the West. And Pakistan continues to lose both territory and citizens to the extremists who continue to wage a war within Pakistan and on Pakistan. Most of all, anger and angst still define the social disposition.
None of this is new. As a re-reading of our review of 2007 would show there is no evidence that 2008 was any more depressing than 2007 was. It just feels that way. Good things have happened (including elections) but so many bad things have piled on that it becomes difficult to remember what they were. Each new day brings new headlines of death, depression and despondency. And each headline chips away at the national psyche. The angst compounds within us. Gloom adds to gloom and the emergent analysis becomes ever more gloomy.
Speculative it surely is, but even if only for speculation’s sake, what if she had not been killed on that fateful day a year ago?
What if she had survived the attack? Would things have been different? Would the nature of the government she would have formed or run have been different from Mr. Zardari’s government? Would Gen. Musharraf’s fate have been different? Would Justice Iftikhar’s fate have been different? Would the pressure on Pakistan from abroad have been different? Would Pakistan’s response to extremists have been different? All of this, of course, assumes that she would have won the elections and assumed power had she lived. But, would even that have been so?
I do not know the answers to any of these. No one does. But a part of me would like to believe (for the sake of my own sanity) that things in Pakistan would, indeed, have been different – and better – if she had not been killed, even if nothing else had been any different from what it is today. Simply, because the blot of her assassination would have been one less stain for our collective soul to cleanse off. And she would still be there to give hope to at least a few!
How can people forget the corruption, ineptitude, and nepotism/cronyism of the PPP governments? What is it about Benazir or Zardari, that people ‘see no evil, hear no evil,’ and every second journalist says, ‘Give Zardari a chance,’ ‘Give him the benefit of the doubt.’ Zardari will always be a doubtful personality, so should we always give him the benefit, then?
It’s the cult phenomenon/God delusion we see throughout history, people thinking the sun revolves around this or that person. All those who are awe-struck by the PPP personalities, my question to them is, would you buy a used car from Mr Zardari? Would you lend him money? Would you accept him as a business partner?
I rest my case. :-)
Benazir was a catastrophic failure and even more disappointing considering her education and fight for democracy, but once in power she was highly corrupt and inept. I could never voice support for her but her death was tragic and unwarranted. No body deserves what she got………but other than the customary sadness of her demise she would not be missed as her accomplishments were none. Now to further add to the sadness of her demise her corrupt husband has become our president.
Aqil,
I think I answered your question. But if you still don’t get it then…okay! Zardari is the murderer! What a masterpiece of a plot: From Dubai orchestrate everything so precisely that at the right time someone pushes BB out the sunroof for the waiting pistol+bomber, then take hold of the party, then run elections, then win, then make coalitions, then skillfully show Musharraf the door, then assume the presidency, then loot 200%.
PS. There are many people living right now, starting with Hamid Gul, who now fess’up to their role in conspiring against the PPP for decades.
@meengla:
You are ducking the question and going off into irrelevant tangents.
Is Zardari one of the main benificiaries or not? If so, he should be one of the top suspects in any honest murder investigation. Any other benificiaries should also be considered by such an inquiry.
The same goes for Aslam Beg on Zia.
Talking of conspiracy theories, your remarks about the military or some militents being behind her murder are not conspiracy theories?
Oh sorry, I forgot, according to jiala logic, any conspiracy theory against the military or religious extremists is a fact, but noone should dare to raise any questions about the Bhutto’s or Zardari. :)
@Aqil,
Yes, he became the president of Pakistan after not only managing to calm down Sindhi anger but also after keeping his party united and leading his party to election victory. And then he saw to it that the Sword of Democles of Musharraf presidency was removed from the nascent democracy.
I will hold my judgment on Zardari until he is either removed by a parlimentary process or by losing next elections. I am not going to accept Khakis role in political changes in Pakistan.
Any more conspiracy theories? How about blaming Gen. Baig for Zia’s death because Baig benefited from it?