Adil Najam
On the first death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto we had carried a post asking “What if she had not been killed?” Today, on the 22nd death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) it may be a good time to ask the same question about him.
On previous anniversaries of ZAB’s death we have asked you to comment on Mr. Bhutto and his legacy and about the rationale and reasoning given for his death by his nemesis, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. This time let us think a little about what his death meant for Pakistan – and, thereby, for all the rest of us.
Of course, one expects a lot of naara baazi from both his supporters and his detractors. That is merely to be expected. But beyond the black and white slogans there was the man and the legacy of the man that has clearly impacted much of what has happened since his death, especially because of the nature of his removal.
Indeed, one could suggest that there are at least two separate questions here: What might have happened had Zia Ul Haq’s coup not happened and if Bhutto had lived on? And, what might have happened if Bhutto had not been hung after the trial?
How might have the PPP evolved in either of those cases? What would these have meant for Pakistan’s politics as a whole? And Pakistan’s economy and foreign relations? Pakistani institutions?
I am not presupposing any answer, nor am I suggesting that these are questions that can be logically answered precisely. But they may be questions worth thinking about today; not just to speculate about how might have happened, but much more important to think about how our acts of political expediency today can have long and deep shadows – nearly always unintended, quite often consequential, and sometimes historically disastrous even for those who orchestrate them.
@ShahidnUSA …. yes ! he did that … I remember My school fee was more than 600 & we were 5 children all school going & when our schools Nationalized & directed by the government of ZAB that there will be Compulsory education for all children till 10th & NO FEE would be taken … parents were so Happy !
& then came that EVIL known as ZIA ( the Complete DARKNESS) & Compulsory education to all school going children CEASED !
@ Amin you sound as if u think that ZAB ruled a country with out people or that We all were sleeping when he did all this Wrong !!
Come on man ! Dont MUTILATE the history in such a Rough way …. Though a Little girl but I remember all of ZAB days….
Our School teachers of Islamiyat Openly Spoken against Him( the Sitting 1st Elected PM ) all the time, Mufti , Norani, Wali , Madodi , Asghar khan , Tufail.. u name it.. all Spitting VENOM against that so called Worst dictator of urs… & he didnt even killed a Single 3rd class right wing political joker like urs Claimed champion commando of MEDIA from Army( ON RENT ) killed Saradar Akber Khan, there was Cheap cotton suits for Kissans, there was bundles of Cheap rotis for Mazdoors…, there were cards for getting cheap sugar in those worst Recession days of 70’s ( THAT made ur INDUSTRIALISTS TYCOONS CRAZY over him) …just a few to tell u………………………..
so GIVE us a BREAK man ! if u were not born at that time
let others comment & u just ” learn ” how to write TRUTH ! & if u were there I am impressed by the way u beat Goebbels !
Simply put, Pakistan would be a better place to live.
If he wasn’t killed, he would be there now instead of Zardari. Nothing else would have been different. Any doubts?
“aur phir ik shakhs ne ki dosti mazdur se
banda-e-mehnat kash-e-nadaar aur majbur se
jab nawaza us ne Pakistan ko dastur se
jaan tum ne chiin li us ke tan-e-ranjur se
kis tarha jamhuriyat ki baat kar sakte ho tum”
Syed Ikram Hussain Ishrat