Benazir Bhutto....

Editorial: daily times

December 27, 2012 was the fifth death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. As the nation mourned the brutal assassination of one of its most popular politicians, the Pakistan People’s Party’s leadership gathered at her mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Buksh to commemorate her life and struggle. The impact of her death not only changed the political scenario of the country, it also brought into sharp focus the extent to which the forces of extremism had become uncontrollable, particularly post-9/11 and General Pervez Musharraf’s mishandling of Pakistan’s role of an ally in the war on terror. Ms Bhutto on her return to Pakistan in October 2007 was a vocal opponent of the Taliban’s presence in her homeland and she declared an open war on the militant group, who after their hugely unpopular policies in Afghanistan were trying to form a stronghold in the tribal and border areas of Pakistan. The attack on Ms Bhutto’s welcome rally on October 18, 2007, which killed almost 200 people, was the first indication of how blood-tainted the future could be in a country still reeling from the losses incurred for being an ‘ally’ in a war in the neighbouring country and the utter mismanagement of the Laal Masjid incident. What transpired between October and December 2007 is anybody’s guess, but the tragic incident of Ms Bhutto’s murder on December 27 was a singular event that changed the face of Pakistan’s political structure in an overnight storm, the aftermath of which was the almost complete defeat of the PML-Q, Musharraf’s King’s party, in the February 2008 elections. The nation voted for the PPP while mourning Ms Bhutto and the party formed the government in the Centre with the full endorsement of all parties for the PPP candidate Yousaf Raza Gilani’s election as the leader of the house. Later, in September 2008, President Asif Ali Zardari was elected unanimously by the electoral college of both houses of parliament and the four provincial Assemblies. Five years later, the Benazir Bhutto murder case still remains unsolved. It is a matter of great concern for many supporters of the PPP and Pakistanis in general that the most prominent assassination in the history of Pakistan remains a mystery. What should have been the single most important investigation after the PPP government’s swearing in in March 2008 has remained incomplete and inconclusive. General Musharraf may have been behind the murder, as the PPP seems to have concluded belatedly, but the fact that no comprehensive investigation ever took place that would formulate an airtight case against the former general shows the ineptitude of the investigating agencies working under the incumbent government. On Thursday, when Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in his laudatory-cum-entry-into-politics address pointed a finger at the judiciary, protesting against its failure to take any substantial step vis-à-vis the investigation of Ms Bhutto’s assassination, the Chairperson needed to take into consideration the simple fact that the main responsibility of uncovering the details of Benazir Bhutto’s murder lies not with any court but the law-enforcement agencies working on the case. Interpol, on the Pakistan government’s request, may have helped with the investigation, but it would not do anything to extradite General Musharraf from the place of his present domicile and present him to a Pakistani court without persuasive evidence. The slogans for justice will all be in vain if there is no closure to this case. The best tribute to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on her fifth death anniversary would be the full and thorough investigation of her assassination. That is what her political successor, Bilawal, must demand of the government of his party. For her three children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Aseefa, the pain of the loss of their beloved mother may be lessened somewhat if her killers are brought to justice, and not a moment too soon.