Saturday, June 20, 2020
Opinion: The Doom Where It Happened - Was John Bolton gullible or cynical? Yes.
By Bret Stephens
Karl Popper once said, “A theory that explains everything, explains nothing.” John Bolton’s forthcoming memoir of his 17-month stint as Donald Trump’s national security adviser, “The Room Where It Happened,” offers a corollary: A book that tells all, yet somehow manages to tell nothing. Bolton writes that Trump’s Ukraine quid pro quo was “bad policy, questionable legally, and unacceptable as presidential behavior.” We knew that. He writes that Vladimir Putin “had to be laughing uproariously at what he had gotten away with in Helsinki.” Knew that. He writes that, for Trump, “obstruction of justice [is] a way of life.” Knew that, too.
Bolton writes that Trump tried to bend the criminal justice system to do favors for China’s Xi Jinping and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Not surprised. He writes that Mike Pompeo, obsequious with Trump in public, privately thinks his boss is “so full of shit.” Not surprised. He writes that, in the midst of a trade negotiation, Trump pleaded with Xi to help “ensure he’d win” the 2020 election. Not surprised. He writes that Trump thought that China’s construction of concentration camps for ethnic Uighurs was “exactly the right thing to do.” Appalled — but not surprised.
Bolton writes that he is “hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my White House tenure that wasn’t driven by re-election calculations.” Yep. He writes that Trump’s “thinking was like an archipelago of dots … leaving the rest of us to discern — or create — policy.” Sounds right.
He writes that Trump seemed not to know that the U.K. was a nuclear power and wondered whether Finland was part of Russia. And on it goes: One knockout revelation after another, ultimately revealing very little. If by now you haven’t concluded that Donald Trump is “erratic,” “irrational,” “foolish,” and “stunningly uninformed” — among the epithets Bolton applies to the president — this book isn’t likely to convince you. But the larger question looming over Bolton’s book isn’t about its subject. It’s about its author — and everyone else who joined the administration without illusions participated in it without defiance, and exited it without shame. How do people like Bolton, Reince Priebus, Gary Cohn, Rex Tillerson, or (when he eventually departs) Pompeo justify their witting, willing service to this witless, wicked president? In a superb essay in The Atlantic, Anne Applebaum draws on the inspiration of Czeslaw Milosz’s “The Captive Mind” to address the question. There is the relief, and pleasure, of political conformity. There is the allure of power or proximity to it. There is a profit motive. There is a kind of savior complex, in which officials like the “Anonymous” New York Times Op-Ed writer from 2018 claim to form part of a secret resistance within the upper reaches of government. All true. And all eminently applicable to Bolton. But there’s an additional factor at work, described by Hannah Arendt in “The Origins of Totalitarianism.”
How do demagogues get away with their nonstop lying — even with those who at some level understand they are being lied to? Arendt observed “a curiously varying mixture of gullibility and cynicism with which each member, depending upon his rank and standing in the movement, is expected to react to the changing lying statements of the leaders and the central unchanging ideological fiction of the movement.” A similar mix seems to explain Bolton’s behavior. It took cynicism to work for a president whose character he disdained and whose worldview he opposed. It took gullibility to think he could blunt or influence either. It took cynicism to observe the president commit multiple potentially impeachable offenses and then sit out impeachment on the pathetic excuse that Democrats were going about it the wrong way and that his testimony would have made no meaningful difference. It took gullibility to assume his book would have any effect on Trump’s re-election prospects now. It took cynicism to reap profits thanks to a president he betrayed and a nation he let down. It took gullibility to imagine he’d be applauded as a courageous truth-teller when his motives are so nakedly vindictive and mercenary.
Above all, it took astonishing foolishness for Bolton to imagine that his book would advance the thing he claims to care about most — a hawkish vision of U.S. foreign policy. That vision will now be forever tarred by its association with him, a man considered a lunatic by most liberals and a Judas by many conservatives. I write all this as someone who shares many of Bolton’s hawkish foreign-policy views. I’m also someone who urged Bolton, while he was still in office, to resign on principle. It’s a shame he didn’t do so while he still had a chance to preserve his honor, but it isn’t a surprise. Only the truly gullible can act totally cynically and imagine they can escape history’s damning verdict.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says that Prime Minister Imran Khan has come out openly against the 18th Constitutional Amendment and NFC Award while his Federal government did not help provinces on Coronavirus
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan has come out openly against the 18th Constitutional Amendment and NFC Award when his Federal government did not help the provincial governments on Coronavirus. “Amidst this testing time and difficult circumstances, Sindh was given Rs229 billion less from its due share as Punjab and other provinces also got lesser shares.Addressing a press conference at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House, Karachi, he said that all the political parties have unanimously rejected the federal fiscal budget and vowed that we will not allow our hospitals and healthcare facilities to be snatched at the hands of an incompetent PTI-led Federal government.Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the federal government did not provide any assistance to the provincial governments on Coronavirus and the Federal budget was presented as if Coronavirus was not a problem and a thing of past. “People had a thought that the Federal government’s budget would be in line with aims and plans to amicably deal with all the emerging challenges but it disappointed and since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, Federal government is creating controversies and confusions.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that it was hoped that there would be a health package for all provinces but the government was making development projects that would bring political benefits to PTI. They showed a lack of seriousness in dealing with Coronavirus and locusts.
He said that the entire focus of the Federal government and the state should be on the epidemic to save the lives of the people but our misfortune is that the PTI government is not sincere in saving the lives of the people in this situation. It has also failed in building a national consensus against this epidemic, he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the political parties of the country have rejected the budget presented in the face of a pandemic and sadly, nothing has been done in this budget to deal with it, nor any challenge to eradicate the locust. Even though the money was set aside, we were expecting the government to provide a special package to deal with the epidemic at the provincial level, but it was not given. “Unfortunately, the Rs70 billion set aside for pandemic are in fact the funds provided PTI lawmakers to build roads and sewerages and attain political points,” he added.
The PPP Chairman further said that we have been asking this government for two years to set aside money for health, water, employment and other projects but it did not happen which is an irresponsible thinking. Not only it, but provinces’ money from the NFC has been reduced and Sindh has been given Rs299 billion less and Punjab Rs400 billion less. The present government has not given any relief nor has it taken any steps to revive the economy. The elderly, the middle class, the poor, everyone is worried, and everyone is realising that the Federal government has completely failed to provide health and economic protection. The budget does not provide any plan, including the Benazir Income Support Programme, to curb the current outbreak during the economic situation that has arisen.
Replying to a question, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he himself was a supporter of the Provincial Finance Commission, and wanted every district and division to get its full right, it can be implemented only if the provinces get full share from the NFC and its constructive benefits reach down the lane.
He said that the health workers are fighting on the frontline and the Sindh government has given them all possible help and will continue to do so adding that he has directed the Sindh CM to give top priority to these frontline workers and in practice you may have seen this happening in Sindh. In ongoing difficult situation, Sindh increased the salaries and pensions of government employees, I am proud that Sindh supported those who worked despite the difficulties, a large part of the budget has been allocated in the health sector.
He said that the Federal government has taken over three of our hospitals during the outbreak, which has severely damaged the ongoing efforts of the Sindh government. “I have been saying before and then I repeat that show one NICVD style hospital all over Pakistan, or where the PTI government has been for a long time.” The national statistics clearly show that most of the new hospitals were built in Sindh during our tenure, most of the hospitals were also upgraded in Sindh, including the three hospitals which have been snatched from the Sindh government. “Take a look at Federal government’s budget for them which makes it clear who is serious about improving the condition of hospitals,” he added.
In reply to another, he said that there have been only U-Turns on every utterances on the part of Imran Khan and the present government should be reminded again as it has dealt with the outbreak and the economic situation in a non-serious way. “From day one, we suspected that the PM was against the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award, as well as the 1973 Constitution. At first, he opposed it privately, but now he is openly opposing the 1973 Constitution,” he added stressing that PTI allies should secede from the government after the PM’s position on the constitution came to light.
Asked about Akhtar Mengal, he said that Akhtar Mengal has taken a good step for the rights of his province and hoped that he would stand by his decision.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was asked that during his visit, the PM accepted the invitation of a Wadera in Larkana instead of offering condolences to the families of those killed in the PIA plane crash; he said that the PM did not come on CM’s request but a contractor and his visit to Larkana was not political but non-political, where he was given a banquet.
He said that the entire focus of the Federal government and the state should be on the epidemic to save the lives of the people but our misfortune is that the PTI government is not sincere in saving the lives of the people in this situation. It has also failed in building a national consensus against this epidemic, he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the political parties of the country have rejected the budget presented in the face of a pandemic and sadly, nothing has been done in this budget to deal with it, nor any challenge to eradicate the locust. Even though the money was set aside, we were expecting the government to provide a special package to deal with the epidemic at the provincial level, but it was not given. “Unfortunately, the Rs70 billion set aside for pandemic are in fact the funds provided PTI lawmakers to build roads and sewerages and attain political points,” he added.
The PPP Chairman further said that we have been asking this government for two years to set aside money for health, water, employment and other projects but it did not happen which is an irresponsible thinking. Not only it, but provinces’ money from the NFC has been reduced and Sindh has been given Rs299 billion less and Punjab Rs400 billion less. The present government has not given any relief nor has it taken any steps to revive the economy. The elderly, the middle class, the poor, everyone is worried, and everyone is realising that the Federal government has completely failed to provide health and economic protection. The budget does not provide any plan, including the Benazir Income Support Programme, to curb the current outbreak during the economic situation that has arisen.
Replying to a question, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he himself was a supporter of the Provincial Finance Commission, and wanted every district and division to get its full right, it can be implemented only if the provinces get full share from the NFC and its constructive benefits reach down the lane.
He said that the health workers are fighting on the frontline and the Sindh government has given them all possible help and will continue to do so adding that he has directed the Sindh CM to give top priority to these frontline workers and in practice you may have seen this happening in Sindh. In ongoing difficult situation, Sindh increased the salaries and pensions of government employees, I am proud that Sindh supported those who worked despite the difficulties, a large part of the budget has been allocated in the health sector.
He said that the Federal government has taken over three of our hospitals during the outbreak, which has severely damaged the ongoing efforts of the Sindh government. “I have been saying before and then I repeat that show one NICVD style hospital all over Pakistan, or where the PTI government has been for a long time.” The national statistics clearly show that most of the new hospitals were built in Sindh during our tenure, most of the hospitals were also upgraded in Sindh, including the three hospitals which have been snatched from the Sindh government. “Take a look at Federal government’s budget for them which makes it clear who is serious about improving the condition of hospitals,” he added.
In reply to another, he said that there have been only U-Turns on every utterances on the part of Imran Khan and the present government should be reminded again as it has dealt with the outbreak and the economic situation in a non-serious way. “From day one, we suspected that the PM was against the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award, as well as the 1973 Constitution. At first, he opposed it privately, but now he is openly opposing the 1973 Constitution,” he added stressing that PTI allies should secede from the government after the PM’s position on the constitution came to light.
Asked about Akhtar Mengal, he said that Akhtar Mengal has taken a good step for the rights of his province and hoped that he would stand by his decision.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was asked that during his visit, the PM accepted the invitation of a Wadera in Larkana instead of offering condolences to the families of those killed in the PIA plane crash; he said that the PM did not come on CM’s request but a contractor and his visit to Larkana was not political but non-political, where he was given a banquet.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was asked if he would go to court against the decision on the NFC award, he said that the Leader of the Opposition is currently in isolation due to Coronavirus. After his recovery, all political parties will take up the matter and after consultation, a joint strategy will be adopted for which all options, including the court, are available.
Replying to another regarding Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the issue of surveillance of a judge has come to light in the case of Faez Isa which is a very serious matter.
He said that PPP believes that corruption exists at every level and serious efforts should be made to eradicate it, but unfortunately the aim of the present government is not to eradicate corruption but to inflict political revenge on its political opponents in the name of corruption.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that current locust attack is the biggest in 25 years and Sindh government has been appealing to the Federal government for a year to take the matter seriously but this issue has been ignored and no help was extended to farmers by Federal government while the provincial governments are trying to deal with it on their own.
The Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Sindh government was investigating the terrorist incidents and action would be taken against the accused involved in the attack on paramilitary Rangers.
Replying to another regarding Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the issue of surveillance of a judge has come to light in the case of Faez Isa which is a very serious matter.
He said that PPP believes that corruption exists at every level and serious efforts should be made to eradicate it, but unfortunately the aim of the present government is not to eradicate corruption but to inflict political revenge on its political opponents in the name of corruption.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that current locust attack is the biggest in 25 years and Sindh government has been appealing to the Federal government for a year to take the matter seriously but this issue has been ignored and no help was extended to farmers by Federal government while the provincial governments are trying to deal with it on their own.
The Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Sindh government was investigating the terrorist incidents and action would be taken against the accused involved in the attack on paramilitary Rangers.
#HappyBirthdaySMBB - President Asif Ali Zardari’s message on Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s birth anniversary
Pakistan Peoples Party has completed the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto by restoring the constitution to its true form and still believes in a strong parliament.
Former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari said this in his message on the birth anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
President Zardari in his message said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto defeated two dictators by her valiant struggle. Her struggle has been a milestone for all democratic loving people. Her foreign policy signifies respect of the country and the PPP returned the authority for chalking out such foreign policy to the parliament.
President Asif Ali Zardari said that PPP is still fighting the anti-democratic mindset and those who criticise the Charter of Democracy are the remnants of dictators. The people are the greatest judge after the Allah Almighty, he concluded.
PTI's coalition partners at Centre should part ways if they wish to remain loyal to the country: Bilawal
“Akhtar Mengal has played a positive role. Now there is no valid reason for him to stay with this government,” said Bilawal, adding: “I hope he will stick to his decision."
Bilawal's words come three days after Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) leader Akhtar Mengal announced that his party was breaking its alliance with the ruling coalition.Following the announcement, government representatives, chiefly defence minister Pervez Khattak, have been tasked with placating Mengal and bringing him back into the fold. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is also a signatory to the agreement signed between both sides, said: "[Mengal] mentioned an agreement with us [PTI], we are still bound by it." He said that the PTI will establish contact with Mengal to persuade him to review his decision.
Meanwhile, Bilawal, in today's media briefing, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opposition to the 18th constitutional amendment and the National Finance Commission award to the provinces is now “plain for all to see”.
“He is even against the 1973 Constitution,” the PPP chairman claimed, censuring the government for “speaking against the 18th Amendment and NFC award while on a visit to Sindh”. He said that the premier “should have at least stopped to think of where he is” before speaking out against the province.
Bilawal said it was highly regrettable that the premier likened Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to a “dictator”.
“Their true face has started to reveal itself,” the PPP chairman said.
He said that “for humanity’s sake” the premier should not have attacked the province at a time when it is important for all stakeholders to unite in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Lady Reading Hospital is run by a relative of his. They should try to compete with Jinnah Hospital,” said Bilawal.
He added that the government would be hard-pressed to find even one hospital at par with the quality of the National Insititute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). He said if the government is able to point out even one that comes up to its standards, the province will surrender control of all three hospitals sought by the government – the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).
The PPP chairman said that the province had witnessed a great economic fallout as a result of the pandemic and the upcoming budgetary allocation is a great injustice with hospitals.
He claimed that the government has announced a Rs70 billion budget but under the fine print, one will find that the amount is kept aside for a "slush fund" to be used by PTI MNAs.
"The government has cut down the budgets of the provinces and expects us to fight the outbreak on our own," he said.
Sindh's share of the NFC award has been slashed by some Rs230 billion.
Bilawal said the PPP government, meanwhile, has placed great emphasis on health. “We have ramped up the number of our hospitals and testing facilities on a war footing,” he said.
The PPP chairman said that government should take into account the recommendation by the WHO which calls for intermittent two-week lockdowns.
"This fast crumbling wall will soon topple over. We need a serious prime minister," Bilawal said.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/675343-ptis-coalition-partners-at-centre-should-part-ways-if-they-wish-to-remain-loyal-to-the-country-bilawal
Bilawal seeks JIT on 'surveillance of judges'
“Pakistan Peoples Party has demanded that if references against judges can be filed, then a JIT should also be formed against those who had brought the information against Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” he said.
The PPP chairman made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi.
He observed that the joint opposition had given its viewpoint on the quashing of presidential reference by the apex court against Justice Isa in detail.On Friday, the united opposition had welcomed the apex court’s verdict and demanded the resignation of the president and premier.Bilawal stated the PPP believed that corruption prevailed in all segments of the society but the campaign that was launched to bring an end to it had different purposes.He stressed upon the need to fight corruption and noted that if there were any issues of corruption in the bureaucracy, politics and judiciary, they needed to resolve in a democratic and transparent manner.
He emphasised that until the time victimisation and pressure tactics were used corruption could not be eliminated from the country.
He called for bringing an end to the practice of registering cases which were based on ill intent and sought vengeance on politicians, judges or civil society.He appealed to the top court to take up the issue regarding the cases based on mala fide intent.
Commenting on the federal budget for the next fiscal year, Bilawal said that the outlay had been rejected by all the political parties.
“The budget presented by the government gives the impression that Covid-19 is not an issue for the country and people are not prone to it,” he said.
“There is no preference in the budget for combating the coronavirus, spending resources to save lives of people and improving the economic situation,” he added.
“The federal government should have announced a health or Covid-19 package for every province in the budget and the country has to increase its healthcare and testing capacity.”
Bilawal noted that the government had given preference to development over health at a time when the people in the country were fighting a pandemic.
“During a pandemic, the government is more interested in repairing roads.”
He claimed that the Rs70 billion budget earmarked by the government to fight the Covid-19 had been kept as “slush funds” for PTI MNAs.
Commenting on the locust attacks, Bilawal observed that it was the biggest attack in the last 25 years and the federal government had not paid heed to their requests to address the problem.
Deliberating on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, he said the notification issued in this regard was “illegal” and demanded that complete NFC should be given to Sindh.
The PPP chairman said that the NFC award would be discussed with other opposition parties during an all parties conference.
Expressing his party’s support for the18th amendment, Bilawal agreed that it needed to be implemented in true spirit and powers ought to be devolved to union levels.
The PPP chairman also expressed his concern about possible takeover of three teaching hospitals in Karachi by the federal government saying that it would affect the specialised training programmes for doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel in Sindh.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2246925/1-bilawal-seeks-jit-surveillance-judges/
شہید رانی، ایک عہد ساز شخصیت
تحریر: آفتاب احمد گوارئیہ
محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو نے سیاست میں قدم رکھا تو ملک میں آمریت کا گھپ اندھیرا ضیائی مارشل لاء کی صورت میں مسلط تھا۔ چیرمین بھٹو کو پھانسی پر لٹکا کر منظرنامے سے ہٹایا جا چکا تھا۔ محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو، محترمہ نصرت بھٹو اور پیپلز پارٹی کے رہنما و کارکن مسلسل قید و بند کا شکار تھے۔ تو یہ تھے وہ حالات جن میں محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو نے عوام کی قیادت کا بیڑا اٹھایا اور اپنے ملک اور قوم کو مارشل لاء کے گھپ اندھیرے سے نکالنے کے لئے جمہوریت کی جانب سفر شروع کیا۔ یہ ایک مشکل سفر تھا لیکن کوئی بھی مشکل اور مصیبت محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کے قدم نہ لڑکھڑا سکی۔ سکھر جیل میں قید تنہائی اور شدید گرمی میں گزرے شب و روز کو انتہائی بہادری، عزم اور جرات سے گزار کر محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو نے ضیا آمریت کا سر شرم سے جھکا دیا۔ بالآخر 1988 کے انتخابات کے نتیجے میں ملک سے سیاہ رات کا خاتمہ ہوا اور ملک میں جمہوریت کا سورج طلوع ہوا۔ محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو دنیا کی کم عمر ترین اور اسلامی دنیا کی پہلی خاتون وزیراعظم منتخب ہو گئیں۔
محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کے وزیراعظم منتخب ہوتے ہی آمریت کی باقیات نے اپنے آقاؤں کے اشارے پر جمہوریت کے خلاف ایک بار پھر صف بندی شروع کردی اور جمہوری قوتوں کے خلاف سازشوں کے ایک نئے دور کا آغاز ہوا۔ انہی سازشوں کے نتیجے میں انیس سو نوے میں بدنام زمانہ آٹھویں ترمیم کے زور پر محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کی حکومت ختم کر دی گئی لیکن محترمہ انیس سو ترانوے میں ایک بار پھر عوام کی طاقت سے برسر اقتدار آ گئیں لیکن آٹھویں ترمیم کے ہی کلہاڑے سے حکومت ایک دفعہ پھر چھین لی گئی۔ اس تمام عرصے کے دوران الیکشن کے نتائج کی انجنئیرنگ کی جاتی رہی جو تاریخ کا ایک اور سیاہ باب ہے۔ انیس سو نوے کا الیکشن محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو پہلے سے بھی زیادہ اکثریت سے جیت رہی تھیں لیکن راتوں رات نتائج بدل دئیے گئے اور پورا الیکشن چرا لیا گیا۔ آج تاریخ کی عدالت اس دھاندلی کو ثابت کر چکی ہے لیکن انصاف کی عدالت سے محترمہ کو انصاف کبھی نہ مل سکا۔ اسی طرح انیس سو ستانوے کے الیکشن میں بھی محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کی پیپلز پارٹی کو صرف سندھ تک محدود کر دیا گیا۔ دو ہزار دو کے الیکشن میں محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کو الیکشن میں حصہ لینے سے روک دیا گیا اس کے ساتھ ساتھ الیکشن کمپین کے لئے پاکستان آنے کی اجازت بھی نہ دی گئی اس کے باوجود محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کی پیپلزپارٹی اس الیکشن میں سب سے بڑی پارٹی بن کر سامنے آئی لیکن جنرل مشرف کی آمریت نے حکومت نہ بنانے دی۔ ان تمام الیکشنز میں کی جانے والی دھاندلیوں کے باوجود محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کا کردار ایک مدبر, ذمہ دار اور محب وطن رہنما کا رہا۔ محترمہ نے تمام تر تحفظات کے باوجود ہمیشہ الیکشن نتائج کو تسلیم کیا اور کبھی اپنی جدوجہد کو جمہوری اقدار کے دائرے سے نکلنے نہیں دیا تاکہ ملک انارکی اور انتشار کا شکار نہ ہو۔ تمام تر دھاندلیوں کے باوجود ہمیشہ ان الیکشنز کے نتیجے میں بننی والی پارلیمان میں بیٹھنے کو ترجیح دی۔ محترمہ کہا کرتی تھیں کہ کمزور سے کمزور جمہوریت بھی آمریت سے بہتر ہوتی ہے۔
دھشت گردی کے خلاف بھی محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کا موقف بالکل واضح تھا۔ جب دوسرے سیاسی رہنما دھشت گردوں کے ڈر سے کوئی واضح موقف دینے سے گھبراتے تھے تو ایسے میں محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو ہی تھیں جنہوں نے کھل کر دھشت گردوں کو للکارا اور اپنی آخری تقریر میں اپنی حکومت آنے کے بعد سوات کو دھشت گردوں سے چھڑانے کا اعلان کیا۔ محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کو اس صورتحال کا مکمل ادراک تھا کہ اپنے اصولی موقف کے باعث وہ دھشت گردوں کی ہٹ لسٹ پر ہیں لیکن شہید رانی نہایت بہادری اور جرات کے ساتھ اپنے موقف پر قائم رہیں یہاں تک بزدل دشمن اپنے گھناونے عزائم میں کامیاب ہو گئے اور محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو شہادت کے منصب پر فائز ہو کو شہید رانی کا لقب پا گئیں۔
شہید رانی کا شمار ان رہنماؤں میں ہوتا ہے جن کا نام مخالفین بھی عقیدت اور احترام سے لیتے ہیں۔ ایسے میں چند کم ظرف لوگ اپنی فطرت سے مجبور ہو کر شہید رانی کی ذات پر کیچڑ اچھال کر اپنا قد بڑھانے کی کوشش کرتے رہتے ہیں۔ حال ہی میں ایک نام نہاد امریکی صحافی سنتھیا رچی محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کی ذات پر کیچڑ اچھالنے کی مذموم حرکت کی مرتکب ہوئی ہے۔ سنتھیا رچی کی اس حرکت کے جواب میں ملک بھر سے آنے والے ردعمل سے سنتھیا کو اندازہ ہو گیا ہو گا کہ محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو آج بھی پاکستان کے عوام کے دل پر راج کرتی ہیں اور وہ شہید رانی کی ذات کے بارے کئے جانے والے کسی بھی قسم کے پروپیگنڈے کو جوتی کی نوک پر بھی نہیں رکھتے۔
شہید رانی اور مفاہمتی سیاست
تحریر: شاہد نذیر
محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کی شخصیت دنیا کے ان ممتاز رہنماؤں کی طرح لامتناہی ہے کہ جن پہ لکھتے ہوئے الفاظ بھی کم پڑ جاتے ہیں۔شہید رانی کو انکی سالگرہ پہ خراج تحسین پیش کرنے کیلئے قوم کی نئی نسل کو خصوصا یہ بتانا ضروری ہے کہ انکی مفاہمتی سیاست و درگزر کی کیا اہمیت تھی اور ہے۔
شہید رانی تمام قیدوبند کی صعوبتیں،باپ و بھائ کی موت کے اندوہناک غم،اور جلاوطنی کے بعد جب ایک تحریک بن کر اس ملک میں واپس آئیں اور عوام نے جس والہانہ انداز میں انکو استقبال دیا تب اس ملک کی “اصل قوتوں” کے چھکے چھوٹ گئے اور انہوں نے آئی جے آئی کی صورت اپنی سیاسی سازشی بساط بچھادی اور یوں اس ملک میں نووارد جمہوریت کو پراگندہ کردیا جو سلسلہ آج اس سلیکٹڈ دور کی صورت قوم کے سامنے ہے،اس سے بیشتر “آر اوز” انتخابات بھی سامنے ہیں
نوے کی دہائ میں شہید رانی کو طرح طرح کے فتوؤں کا سامنا کرنا پڑا،نظربندیوں کا سامنا کرنا پڑا،شوہر کی اذیت ناک قیدوبند دیکھنا پڑی،اخلاقیات سے گری ہوئ حرکتیں سہنا پڑیں مگر وہ ایک نہتی لڑکی ان تمام سیاسی،فوجی،مذہبی اور منافقانہ قوتوں کے سامنے ڈٹ کر عوام کی سیاست کرتی رہیں۔بار بار حکومتیں برطرف کی جاتی رہیں اور اپنے ہی دور حکومت میں انکے شیر صفت بھائ کو بھی ان سے چھین لیا گیا اور بالآخر حکومت برطرف کرکے ایک اور دھاندلی زدہ حکومت مسلط کردی گئ،یہ دور شہید رانی کیلئے سخت ترین تھا کہ وہ بچوں کو لے کر جلاوطنی میں چلی گئیں کہ کم از کم بچوں کی تعلیم و تربیت پہ برا اثر نا پڑے۔
وقت گزرتا رہا اور انکے سیاسی مخالفین قدرتی انصاف کے ہاتھوں انجام کو پہنچتے رہے،اسی اثناء میں وہ اپنے سیاسی حریف میاں نواز شریف کی جانب تمام باتیں بھلا کر معاف کرکے مفاہمت کیلئے بڑھیں اور اس مفاہمت کو “چارٹر آف ڈیموکریسی” کا عملی جامہ پہنایا جو آئین کے بعد سب سے عمدہ سیاسی،معاشی و معاشرتی معاہدہ ہے۔
۲۰۰۷ میں آمر جب “این آر او” کا معاہدہ کرنے پہ مجبور ہوا تو شہید رانی کی ہی واپسی سے میاں نواز شریف کی واپسی ممکن ہوئ،نئی نسل کو این آر او کا مطالعہ ضرور کرنا چاہئے کہ یہ شہید رانی کی ضرورت نہیں تھی مگر یہ ایک قدم تھا ملکی سیاست کو مفاہمت کی جانب بڑھانے کا۔جب ملک واپس آئیں تو ہر سیاسی قائد کی جانب مفاہمت کا ہاتھ بڑھایا،میاں نواز شریف کو بار بار انتخابات کے بائیکاٹ سے باز رکھا اور ملک کے کونے کونے میں جلسے کئے عوام کو جگایا،آمر کو وردی اتارنے پہ مجبور کیا،میڈیا کی آزادی جو آمر نے سلب کررکھا تھی انکے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی کیلئے ہر کیمپ کا دورہ کیا،آمرانہ قوتوں کو للکارا،ججوں کی نظربندی کیخلاف عملی جدوجہد کی اور غالبا یہی وہ نکتہ تھا جب انکی جان کے درپے قوتوں نے انہیں ہٹانے کا حتمی فیصلہ کرلیا۔
شہید رانی کی ناگہانی شہادت کے بعد مردحر صدر آصف علی زرداری نے انکی مفاہمت کو آگے بڑھایا،جماعتی مفادات کو عظیم تر قومی سیاسی مفادات پہ ترجیح دی۔ پیپلزپارٹی آج بھی شہید رانی کی سیاسی مفاہمت پہ کاربند ہے کہ نوے کی دہائ کے زخم تازہ نہیں کئے جاسکتے اور ہم آج شہید رانی کی سالگرہ پہ اپنی بی بی کے ساتھ اپنے عہد کی تجدید کرتے ہیں کہ انکے لخت جگر بلاول بھٹو زرداری کے شانہ بشانہ انکی مفاہمت و سیاسی فلسفے کو آگے بڑھاتے رہیں گے.
Remembering Benazir Bhutto: a tribute to a great leader
June 21, 1953, is the birthday of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, the first woman prime minister of any Muslim state. Remembering her brings pain and sorrow of her loss but for me, it is also a reminder of her compassionate and beautiful personality. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto represented the Pakistan that was beautiful and with immense potential for development and success.
She set the highest benchmark for politics of integrity and set great examples with struggles for democracy. For this reason, her birthday is celebrated every year on June 21 and nationally and internationally, a tribute is paid to her in ceremonies that are organized across the world to remember her great contributions for this country.
One evening in the 70 Clifton, Shaheed BB received a phone call from Lahore. It was Khwaja Tariq Rahim informing her that dictator General Zia ul Haq’s plane has disappeared from the radar. When Shaheed BB insisted what this information implied, he replied that the long and dark story of General Zia’s rule in Pakistan has come to an end. After that moment, she received a flurry of related calls. About half an hour later, a friend of the Bhutto family and renowned journalist confirmed that the remains of the lost plane have been found near Bahawalpur and all its passengers including General Zia have been killed.
Outside 70 Clifton, party workers who were victims of baton charge, imprisonment, and unemployment at the hands of the autocratic regime, were emotionally charged. Some of them carried boxes of sweets. When Shaheed Benazir Bhutto learned about the festive mood outside 70 Clifton and that people were distributing sweets in joy and celebrations, she left her drawing room and went outside the gate. She said, “Our religion does not allow us to celebrate someone’s death.” Some of the workers replied, “But what he did to Shaheed Zulfikar Bhutto…” She stopped them right away and said, “We do not believe in politics of revenge.”
In her book, “Daughter of the East” Shaheed BB wrote about her concern for her close associates at the occasion of her return to Pakistan. The following excerpt displays her thoughtfulness and empathetic nature: “‘Naheed, Bashir, Dara. Stay close to me.’ I told those who had been warned that they would be arrested. It was ironic: my supporters crowded around me for my protection, and I kept them close to me for their protection. ‘We’re your security,’ members of the press said. But it was the crush of the people outside the airport who turned out to be our security. The immigration authorities were so anxious to get us away from the airport that they conducted their formalities on the plane, quickly stamping all our passports.”
Being a woman leading a political party in a conservative Muslim country, Shaheed BB had to make certain personal decisions in an effort not to alienate her people by staying within the societal norms. One day, while surrounded by her friends in the 70 Clifton, she asked my opinion on marriage and whether she should consider it for herself. I immediately replied in affirmative and said, “Yes, you must!” At that time, I did not know whom she was considering to marry but I expressed my opinion that for a female political leader, marriage is necessary to ensure safety in personal and political life and for desirable social status in the Pakistani culture. After July 1977, the Bhutto family had to face several tragedies including the hanging of Shaheed BB’s father, her brother Shahnawaz’s death, her mother’s illness, her brother Mir Murtaza’s exile and her own house arrests that did not give Shaheed BB enough time to ponder over her personal life. Compared to the wedding ceremonies of her siblings, Shaheed BB’s wedding was being held in much better circumstances and her family and friends were delighted to be able to join Shaheed BB on this memorable occasion. Shaheed BB displayed a great sense of generosity by including the people of Lyari to mark this personal milestone in her life. The ceremony was organized in PPPP’s political stronghold, Lyari’s biggest ground, Kakri Ground. That day, her guests and media from all around the world enjoyed the hospitality of the people of Lyari.
My relationship with the Bhutto family has always been honest and filled with sincerity. The reason why I continued to be a part of Shaheed BB’s journey is because my intentions have been pure and I have earned the family’s trust. After she became the Prime Minister, she offered me to work for her and I agreed to it. Like in the past, I started handling international media.
In the last week of December 1993, Shaheed BB went on an official visit to China and North Korea. In her second tenure, this was my first foreign tour with her. Just a day earlier, she had organized a lunch for my birthday in the Prime Minister House. The guest list included individuals who were close associates of both, Shaheed Bb and mine. I was greatly touched by the gesture that she had kept the tradition of celebrating my birthday even after becoming the Prime Minister. That day, I promised myself that I will remember her on her birthday for years to come, and even if she is no longer with us, I try to continue this tradition by sharing her precious memories with her people and with the new generation.
21 June 2019 is Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s sixty-sixth birthday. Her absence is felt today more than ever. The most befitting tribute to her on her birthday would be to reiterate our commitment to BB’s vision by supporting the new generation who is trying to continue her legacy despite the fact that their father, Mr. Zardari has been arrested and the children’s guardian Faryal Talpur is also under house arrest. Her children, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar, and Asifa are the custodians of her legacy and they are all well-educated and capable individuals who will continue BB’s mission of serving the people and keeping aloft the flag of PPPP.
#BenazirBhutto - BENAZIR BHUTTO - #Birthday of a legend
By Mwaqar
A tribute to "a woman of tremendous courage and a symbol of freedom in tumultuous times."
Today we are celebrating Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, born in 1953 and murdered in 2007 by fanatics supported by cronies of Mush regime and Remnant of cruel dictator Zia era.
Benazir Bhutto, Her name, which translates to the “One without equal” signifies and trails her uniqueness. She had gone to university at the age of 16 and had emerged from Harvard University with startling distinctions, having earned a Cum laude degree in Comparative Government. Benazir was a true leader.
A woman of heart, a woman of mind, a person is driven by the courage and passion of heart to maintain democracy as a way of life on this globe and to defeat those determined to take the liberties of democracy away and to keep those liberties from those who have never known such freedoms of thought and the dreams associated with democracy. To millions of her supporters, she was a brave daughter of a brave father who died while fighting for democracy and self-rule. To them, she was a woman of unflinching determination who returned to Pakistan to reclaim what rightfully belongs to the people of Pakistan.
Benazir was, by all accounts, a devoted patriot, a loyal friend, and a loving mother. Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery. Knowing the threats to her life she risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan. She would be remembered for her long struggle for the return of democracy in Pakistan. Forced reluctantly into politics by her circumstances, she proved better than what her father could have ever hoped for. She led the persecuted family in the aftermath of her father's assassination, Spent five precious years of her youth in the jail. She saw two younger brothers killed. To the end, she looked after an old heart-broken mother. She traveled vast distances battling for her country, party, and family. In between, she even found time to raise a family and check the homework of her kids, drop her son at the mosque for Friday prayer in Dubai. She persuaded Musharraf to give up the military positions.
From the Sindhi haris to the Western politicians she could hold forth before anyone. She had become the most seasoned and wise leader of not just the country but the world beyond as well. She had become the symbol of the promise that this wretched land of ours holds. But she was not to be forgiven one small discretion of standing up to respond to her enthusiastic supporters from the safety of her transport. But then as Ali, the cousin of the Prophet and husband of Ummay Abeeha has said, "I found my creator in my broken resolve" and "Death is a man's greatest lifeguard". It is amazing that even under such trying circumstances, she stayed strong and fought for what she believed in. It takes a tremendous amount of inner strength to spread your message and fight for what you believe in when you know that you are in danger. I think that Ms. Bhutto showed us the definition of a leader. It is so hard to believe that this amazing woman's life has ended.
Her death came too sudden and unexpected. Today is her birthday, a birthday of a legend, who promised her father in his death cell that she will continue his mission.
It's getting hard for me to write this on her birthday. My heart ‘wept’ in shock the moment I saw the newsflash of Benazir Bhutto’s violent death. Who could have thought that her departure would come so soon? I always thought that nothing would happen to her. She will remain safe. No harm will be inflicted on her. Even the day and the time when the news came that she is injured, it did not cross my mind that any fatal harm could be done to her. We always saw her hail and hearty, fighting, and surviving. For eleven long years, she fought for her honor. She fought for her lost respect. For eleven long years, she was the subject of a malicious campaign. Not a day would pass by when a "cock and bull" story would not adorn the front page of a newspaper. Today she is no longer with us, but her absence will always be missed forever.
History will remember her as a great leader and as the only Muslim woman leader, who stood the tests of time, who never betrayed the trust of the people and who accepted every challenge that life threw at her. What is the difference between a politician and a leader? A politician asks for sacrifices, a leader gives one. She gave the ultimate sacrifice for her nation. One does not need the power to be a leader. A leader needs followers, and she had plenty of them, even when out of power. How many prime ministers, presidents, and generals can claim that? Power does not make leaders. History and followers do. She was brave and courageous than her male counterparts and coward opponents, determined to succeed and deliver the agenda of moderation and reform, she had the drive to put Pakistan onto the right track. Far bolder than any male leader, she told the Afghan president hours before her tragic assassination on December 27 that "life and death are in the hands of Allah, and that is why I have the courage to stare in the eyes of death without any fear", just like her great and brave father Z A BHUTTO, who refused to bow his head in front of dictator Zia. Her sophistication and diplomacy established a large network of friends and admirers around the world. At the World Political Forum in Italy in 2003, when she walked into the conference hall, almost forty world leaders stood up and applauded her, was not that honor for Pakistan and the Muslim World? She would stop a conversation or an activity just by walking into a room. She lectured regularly at universities globally where she would dazzle a large audience, In the preceding decade of political struggle, Ms. Bhutto was arrested on numerous occasions; in all, she spent nearly 6 years either in prison or under detention for her dedicated leadership of the then opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, while her one political opponent couldn’t stay in jail for a year and ran to Saudi Arabia by making a deal with General Mush. Throughout the years in opposition, she pledged to transform Pakistani society by focusing attention on programs for health, social welfare, and education for the underprivileged. Benazir was God’s gift to Pakistan.
A brave woman who knew no fear and wanted for her country and its children things that all civilized world
cherishes; food, clothing, housing, education, and a future. She saw the evil of religious extremism for what it is; a self-defeating disease and was not afraid to define it and fight it. Despite the controversies, which may never be resolved, her accomplishments as a woman in a Moslem society are remarkable. To many Pakistanis, she was a leader who spoke for them, their needs, and their hopes. If you asked an ordinary person what they achieved when Benazir Bhutto was in power, they would say at least she gave us a voice and she talked about us and our problems. That was her real achievement."
Benazir was a person of great character and she never forgot her traditions, although she spent most of her life in the West during her education years she had arranged marriage.
The arranged marriage of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari was not expected. Benazir when asked "Why would someone as independent as you accept marriage to someone you hardly knew? She said, Actually, I had reconciled myself to a life without marriage or children for the sake of my career ... So keeping in mind that many people in Pakistan looked to me, I decided to make a personal sacrifice in what I thought would be, more or less, a loveless marriage, a marriage of convenience. The surprising part is that we are very close and that it's been a very good match ... I'd love to arrange my own children's marriages. I say that because I've been so happy." She also inherited the legacy of by far the most pro-people tradition in the otherwise elite-oriented political process of the country.
Before coming back to Pakistan, she, herself, observed that there were two most important battles going on in the country. One, between dictatorship and democracy, the other, between moderation and extremism. Benazir was a woman of extraordinary power. Her critics often dismissed her credentials by saying that she was a privileged woman who did not reflect the true status of Pakistani women, Yet they seemed to miss the point in their critique - precisely because of her privilege and status she could have led a life of luxury and seclusion but instead chose to embrace many of the shackles of tradition. She married a landlord, had three children, and acquired the Islamic garb of modesty. Since entering politics, she never let her /dupatta/ (or head covering) slip down for more than a few seconds in public and played by most of the rules.
As the first Muslim woman to become a head of state, Benazir Bhutto will remain an icon for generations to come.
The fact that even a privileged woman could reach her level in a society where traditional tribal elders are still debating whether or not it is permissible to beat your wife, makes her story particularly inspirational. Her acquiescence in benign traditions was matched with her astonishing ability to move masses in a male-dominated society. What she managed to accomplish as a Muslim woman by breaking the taboo of female leadership was her least appreciated and most lasting legacy. Talking about Benazir’s political history would require a long article to include her successes, failures, disappointments, and official triumphs. But she was a charismatic unique character coming from Kurdish-Farsi roots with a vision that believed in the Pakistani community regardless of its different ethnicities. She believed strongly that the country had so much potential to progress and advance so that its citizens would achieve success strongly.
Benazir was only 25 years old when her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged in Rawalpindi in April 1979. She was 32 when her younger brother Shahnawaz was mysteriously killed in France in 1985. She was 43 when her other brother Murtaza was killed by the police in 1996. Murtaza's killing was a great tragedy for her. Benazir spent more than nine years in exile without her husband. She raised her children as a single parent. She used to teach them the Holy Quran regularly with English translation. She tried her best to ensure the children did not feel the absence of their father. When her husband was released on medical grounds, he was sent to the United States for treatment. Once again Benazir was alone with her children in Dubai. She did not allow her husband and three children to accompany her to Pakistan when she returned on Oct 18, 2007, the last 30 years of her life were full of struggle and trouble, but she proved to be a woman of strong nerve. She was a caring wife, a loving mother, and a courageous leader. Her agenda for better Pakistan was to seek reconciliation, peace, ending militancy, eradicating poverty, building institutions of civil rule and democracy, spreading education and providing hope to the people of Pakistan for a better future.
Benazir’s platform had been leftist, including food for the hungry, health care, jobs, slum clearance, and a monthly minimum wage. She has been opposed by Islamic fundamentalists who have been suspicious of the PPP because of its alleged leftist. According to Western media and intelligence agencies reports Hamid Gul, Nawaz Sharif, and Osama bin Laden conspired to assassinate Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Husein Haqqani, a Pakistani journalist who claims to have been involved in the plot, will later say that ISI Director Hamid Gul contacted Osama bin Laden, who was then known to provide financial support to Afghan mujaheddin, to pay for a coup/assassination of Bhutto. Gul also brings Nawaz Sharif, then the governor of Punjab province and a rival of Bhutto, into the plot. Bin Laden agrees to provide $10 million on the condition that Sharif transforms Pakistan into a strict Islamic state, which Sharif accepts but he puts all the money in his pocket. Benazir was not assassinated at this time, but bin Laden allegedly helps Sharif replace Bhutto one year later. In October 1990, Nawaz Sharif is running for election to replace Benazir Bhutto as the prime minister of Pakistan.
According to a senior Pakistani intelligence source, bin Laden passes a considerable amount of money to Sharif and his party, since Sharif promises to introduce a hard-line Islamic government. Bin Laden has been supporting Sharif for several years. There is said to be a photograph of Sharif chatting with bin Laden. Sharif wins the election and while he does not introduce a hard-line Islamic government, his rule is more amenable to bin Laden’s interests than Bhutto’s had been. Sharif will stay in power until 1993, they will take over from Bhutto again in 1996 and rule for three more years. Former ISI official Khalid Khawaja, a self-proclaimed close friend of bin Laden, will later claim that Sharif and bin Laden had a relationship going back to when they first met face to face in the late 1980s. This tells us that there were people who wanted to kill her a long time ago. Independent Investigators appointed by the UN must find out who are the real murderers of Benazir. Chaudry Pervaiz Elahi; Chaudry Shujhat; and the son of Zia Ul Haq, all haters and sworn enemies of the Bhutto family and of Benazir in particular, and former officials of ISI must be investigated. She never believed in violence and revenge, in her own words, ‘’ democracy is the best revenge’’. She was innocent. Before her tragic death, she wrote Reconciliation, Islam, Democracy and the West, which is one of the greatest books I ever read., according to Arianna Huffington,’’ This is a courageous and powerful answer to hatred and intolerance, written by extraordinary women.’’She believed in democracy, freedom, and openness -- not as slogans, but as a way of life, she remained the most potent Pakistani voice for liberalism, tolerance, and change. Her place in history will be written with golden words and she would be remembered and honored by generations to come. Benazir Bhutto was a symbol of Democracy in Pakistan. Her killing is the Killing of Democracy in Pakistan. She was a great daughter of a great Father.
The most popular leader and Chairperson of the Peoples Party fell victim to the murderous and cowardly act of terrorism. One can cite many examples of the courage and determination of the fallen leader and the domestic and international media is not lacking in enumerating her qualities of courage and intelligence, democratic credentials, popularity, charisma, farsightedness, and bravery in the face of adversity, love for her people and country, her abhorrence of and determination to root out terrorism and her rightful understanding that terrorist supporters still exist in the Establishment and political circles of the country. Benazir had also fought for women's health, social, and discrimination issues. She had plans to set up police stations of women, banks, and also courts. She always spoke against abortion. She was one of the forefronts to form the council of women world leaders. As a politician, wife, and mother, Benazir fulfilled her responsibilities to the fullest. Thus being an icon to many women. Especially Muslim women. Benazir was against violence on women. Benazir's zest for life, her charisma was so good that she became a role model to many. From getting the best of education and being a great leader. Benazir has done it all. She fought for democracy until death. Her intelligence and charm have an everlasting print in everybody's mind. Her proudest accomplishment, as Benazir Bhutto said, is her success as a woman in a man's world. "My greatest contribution lies in that my success as a woman in a Muslim society, where tradition and tribal taboos held sway, has emancipated other women," she said. "My success helped other women make choices that were not available to them before, not only in Pakistan but all over the Muslim world." One of the most disgusting aspects of the murder of Benazir is that Ms. Benazir Bhutto was callously murdered by people who were SCARED of her return to power.
The fact remains, that she was perhaps amongst the very few Pakistani Women and indeed from Asia who could have changed the political scenario.
Benazir Bhutto’s brutal and gruesome slaughter equates a decline in the quality of the democracy prevailing in our world today. To have watched, helplessly or conveniently, while such a stunningly charming, charismatic, cerebral, and flamboyant political giant is slain reduces the world’s claim to civilization and to humane ideals. Today as we are celebrating her birthday; she lies buried next to her father, her life cut short at a time when she seemed the only symbol of hope for leading Pakistan to a semblance of democratic normalcy, the tsunami of chaos and unanswered questions, comments, and commentaries, flooded all airwaves and social gatherings globally. Her assassination, the fear of an uncertain future not just of her party but Pakistan is an ongoing topic of discussion. Needless to say, its impact is being felt the world over, and what happens in Pakistan will have repercussions on the international community as well. There are many who remember her as a warm, generous, and extremely lovable woman; a fantastic mother, wife, and friend. Those who love her also say that as a politician Benazir tried her best in spite of the many roadblocks put in her path, loved her country, its people, and wanted to lead it towards a democratic path once again. Hers was a life that was meant for something special...for something more. Hers was a life that was meant to change the world. And change the world she did. She felt the hand of destiny upon her and she never wavered from following its direction. Benazir Bhutto made extraordinary choices of bravery and self-sacrifice. When her father was about to be hanged, he told her that she did not have to stay in Pakistan, that she could leave and live in safety and comfort elsewhere. She promised him that she would stay and take up his fight for democracy. She never swayed or faltered, not from her promise, nor in her commitment.
In 2007 - some 28 years since she first made that promise - she once again made an extraordinary choice. She left a life of comfort and safety to return to Pakistan - knowing the risk, knowing the peril - to continue her fight and her struggle to fulfill that promise. And fulfill it she did. In life and in death, Benazir Bhutto lit a flame, a flame of hope, of courage, of commitment - a flame for the birth, realization, and hope of peace and democracy. The flame she lit is a flame we must commit ourselves to carry, to embrace, to rise high, and to never let be extinguished. We must all become keepers of the flame. In this way, she lives. Benazir lives. Her promise lives and will see fulfillment each day we carry, raise, and keep the flame. A flame that will live, and will burn, and will inspire people the world over for the duration of time. Her life here on this earth may have ended but her spirit lives on. And her cause goes on. It goes on within all of us who embrace her courage and her spirit - and who believe in the hope and vision that were the mission of her life. What makes a martyr is not the who or the how of the person's murder, but the why. Joan of Arc was martyred because she fought for and spoke for her beliefs - and because she was willing to pay the ultimate price for continue fighting for, and standing for, and speaking for what she believed in regardless of anything else.
Patrick Henry who famously said "Give me liberty or give me death," was willing to die - to lay down his life for his vision, hopes, beliefs, and convictions - and his commitment to such was stronger in his heart than the fear of death. Socrates made people think. Most people fear the truth as if it were death. Socrates did not, believing in the immortality of the soul. He went to his death not afraid, but eager to go and enjoy the fortunes of the blessed, drank poison like wine but did not bow his head. And so was Benazir Bhutto martyred - for standing up, speaking out, and struggling and fighting for her beliefs, for her vision, and for her hopes for her country, and for the rights, opportunities, and freedoms of its people. Her commitment, dedication, and belief in her cause and her vision called her to make the ultimate sacrifice, to pay the ultimate price. It was a sacrifice and a price that, throughout her life, she seemed to know in all her prescience and wisdom that she would one day have to pay. And she marched on. Ever onward.
With spirit and strength; with faith in God; with conviction and commitment to her beliefs and her vision and her cause; with hope; and always with courage, undaunted, unblinking, undying courage. What she gave to the world, to humanity, to time itself - courage, faith, spirit, bravery, love, kindness, self-sacrifice, optimism, and hope - will live forever. Her life was a light in an oft-darkened world. She was the embodiment of courage, beauty, and strength. She never failed to put her country and her people above and before herself. Her light has gone out of this world but will shine forever in the hearts of those who loved her. Her memory is enshrined forever in the fabric of time. And I know and believe that her courage and spirit will live forever in the hearts of those whose lives she touched; in the warm, immortal wind; and in the dusty earth of the land she loved. Hers truly was and forever will be in every way, a heart, a spirit, and a life without comparison.
She had longed to walk once again upon the dusty roads of her homeland. Now she walks there forever. Now she walks with God. Now she is free. As the "Daughter of Destiny" that she was, it was fated before her time on this earth even began that she would be a martyr for her country, her people, and for freedom and democracy. She died as she lived, embracing those who loved her with her beautiful smile and a heart full of love for Pakistan and its people. The idea and vision of a democratic Pakistan was the cause, the struggle, and the dream for which Benazir Bhutto so courageously gave her life. And it is an idea, a cause, and a dream that must not die with her - it is an idea, a cause, and a dream that must live and breathe and come to fruition. It is a struggle and a fight that she began - and it is a struggle and a fight that we must finish. when a reporter from the Times suggested that her life was the stuff of Greek tragedy, she laughed. "Well, I hope not so tragic," she said. "Don't all Greek dramas end in tragedy?" Benazir’s Bhutto's assassination was a blow to people all over Pakistan, and the world, who hold life sacred and believe in the basics precepts of democracy. It is also a blow to women worldwide who took strength from seeing such a courageous, articulate and charismatic woman playing a leadership role in a powerful Muslim country. Inside Pakistan, even her most bitter critics wept at the news of her death, understanding that it is indeed a dark day when assassination becomes a tool for eliminating opposing viewpoints.
She gave her life serving the cause and hope of democracy, equality, justice, freedom, and humanity. She was one of the greatest leaders and advocates for democracy and human rights that our world has ever known. She was a mother. She was a wife. She was a daughter and a sister. She was a friend. She was a remarkably special person. She was, is, and forever will be, every one inspiration. Benazir Bhutto lives. Her spirit lives forever in the hearts of those who loved her; in those to whom she gave hope; in those who were touched by her unbreakable, beautiful and special spirit; in those who were inspired by her courage, her bravery, and her largeness of soul. Those of us whose lives and hearts were forever touched and changed by hers - those of us who loved her - will forever carry her extraordinary spirit in our hearts. Hers was an extraordinary, epic life of tragedy, triumph, love, bravery, and sacrifice. She died as she lived - and as she will forever be remembered - a woman of great faith in God and of tremendous courage. Forever brave. Forever beautiful. Forever BENAZIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Benazir, They killed you, you knew they were going to kill you, the same people who killed your father, the same group of generals, politicians, mullahs and bourgeois, who did not want to see you as a liberal, educated leader, but you fought for us, you fought for democracy and freedom. You are our HERO and will always be... YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AND WILL BE ALIVE LIKE THEY NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE. May God give the people of Pakistan to fight the tyrants. Benazir! our hearts will cry for you on every beat until alive. She lives on.
And her courage lives on. As is the legacy of a martyr. Benazir Bhutto for the past 30 years has been a part of our life, I dare say that for most of us she will remain a part of our lives as long as we live. The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto & Mohtarma BB shall always respectfully be remembered by all democratic masses of Pakistan in particular & those of the world in general. We are very unfortunate people of this Country that we lost Zulfiqar Bhutto and now Benazir. She was the last hope for the unity and prosperous Pakistan.
You can imprison a man, but not an idea.
BB, we miss you. We love you, we salute you for your courage. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A tribute to "a woman of tremendous courage and a symbol of freedom in tumultuous times."
Today we are celebrating Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, born in 1953 and murdered in 2007 by fanatics supported by cronies of Mush regime and Remnant of cruel dictator Zia era.
Benazir Bhutto, Her name, which translates to the “One without equal” signifies and trails her uniqueness. She had gone to university at the age of 16 and had emerged from Harvard University with startling distinctions, having earned a Cum laude degree in Comparative Government. Benazir was a true leader.
Benazir was, by all accounts, a devoted patriot, a loyal friend, and a loving mother. Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery. Knowing the threats to her life she risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan. She would be remembered for her long struggle for the return of democracy in Pakistan. Forced reluctantly into politics by her circumstances, she proved better than what her father could have ever hoped for. She led the persecuted family in the aftermath of her father's assassination, Spent five precious years of her youth in the jail. She saw two younger brothers killed. To the end, she looked after an old heart-broken mother. She traveled vast distances battling for her country, party, and family. In between, she even found time to raise a family and check the homework of her kids, drop her son at the mosque for Friday prayer in Dubai. She persuaded Musharraf to give up the military positions.
From the Sindhi haris to the Western politicians she could hold forth before anyone. She had become the most seasoned and wise leader of not just the country but the world beyond as well. She had become the symbol of the promise that this wretched land of ours holds. But she was not to be forgiven one small discretion of standing up to respond to her enthusiastic supporters from the safety of her transport. But then as Ali, the cousin of the Prophet and husband of Ummay Abeeha has said, "I found my creator in my broken resolve" and "Death is a man's greatest lifeguard". It is amazing that even under such trying circumstances, she stayed strong and fought for what she believed in. It takes a tremendous amount of inner strength to spread your message and fight for what you believe in when you know that you are in danger. I think that Ms. Bhutto showed us the definition of a leader. It is so hard to believe that this amazing woman's life has ended.
Her death came too sudden and unexpected. Today is her birthday, a birthday of a legend, who promised her father in his death cell that she will continue his mission.
It's getting hard for me to write this on her birthday. My heart ‘wept’ in shock the moment I saw the newsflash of Benazir Bhutto’s violent death. Who could have thought that her departure would come so soon? I always thought that nothing would happen to her. She will remain safe. No harm will be inflicted on her. Even the day and the time when the news came that she is injured, it did not cross my mind that any fatal harm could be done to her. We always saw her hail and hearty, fighting, and surviving. For eleven long years, she fought for her honor. She fought for her lost respect. For eleven long years, she was the subject of a malicious campaign. Not a day would pass by when a "cock and bull" story would not adorn the front page of a newspaper. Today she is no longer with us, but her absence will always be missed forever.
A brave woman who knew no fear and wanted for her country and its children things that all civilized world
Benazir was a person of great character and she never forgot her traditions, although she spent most of her life in the West during her education years she had arranged marriage.
The arranged marriage of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari was not expected. Benazir when asked "Why would someone as independent as you accept marriage to someone you hardly knew? She said, Actually, I had reconciled myself to a life without marriage or children for the sake of my career ... So keeping in mind that many people in Pakistan looked to me, I decided to make a personal sacrifice in what I thought would be, more or less, a loveless marriage, a marriage of convenience. The surprising part is that we are very close and that it's been a very good match ... I'd love to arrange my own children's marriages. I say that because I've been so happy." She also inherited the legacy of by far the most pro-people tradition in the otherwise elite-oriented political process of the country.
Before coming back to Pakistan, she, herself, observed that there were two most important battles going on in the country. One, between dictatorship and democracy, the other, between moderation and extremism. Benazir was a woman of extraordinary power. Her critics often dismissed her credentials by saying that she was a privileged woman who did not reflect the true status of Pakistani women, Yet they seemed to miss the point in their critique - precisely because of her privilege and status she could have led a life of luxury and seclusion but instead chose to embrace many of the shackles of tradition. She married a landlord, had three children, and acquired the Islamic garb of modesty. Since entering politics, she never let her /dupatta/ (or head covering) slip down for more than a few seconds in public and played by most of the rules.
As the first Muslim woman to become a head of state, Benazir Bhutto will remain an icon for generations to come.
Benazir was only 25 years old when her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged in Rawalpindi in April 1979. She was 32 when her younger brother Shahnawaz was mysteriously killed in France in 1985. She was 43 when her other brother Murtaza was killed by the police in 1996. Murtaza's killing was a great tragedy for her. Benazir spent more than nine years in exile without her husband. She raised her children as a single parent. She used to teach them the Holy Quran regularly with English translation. She tried her best to ensure the children did not feel the absence of their father. When her husband was released on medical grounds, he was sent to the United States for treatment. Once again Benazir was alone with her children in Dubai. She did not allow her husband and three children to accompany her to Pakistan when she returned on Oct 18, 2007, the last 30 years of her life were full of struggle and trouble, but she proved to be a woman of strong nerve. She was a caring wife, a loving mother, and a courageous leader. Her agenda for better Pakistan was to seek reconciliation, peace, ending militancy, eradicating poverty, building institutions of civil rule and democracy, spreading education and providing hope to the people of Pakistan for a better future.
Benazir’s platform had been leftist, including food for the hungry, health care, jobs, slum clearance, and a monthly minimum wage. She has been opposed by Islamic fundamentalists who have been suspicious of the PPP because of its alleged leftist. According to Western media and intelligence agencies reports Hamid Gul, Nawaz Sharif, and Osama bin Laden conspired to assassinate Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Husein Haqqani, a Pakistani journalist who claims to have been involved in the plot, will later say that ISI Director Hamid Gul contacted Osama bin Laden, who was then known to provide financial support to Afghan mujaheddin, to pay for a coup/assassination of Bhutto. Gul also brings Nawaz Sharif, then the governor of Punjab province and a rival of Bhutto, into the plot. Bin Laden agrees to provide $10 million on the condition that Sharif transforms Pakistan into a strict Islamic state, which Sharif accepts but he puts all the money in his pocket. Benazir was not assassinated at this time, but bin Laden allegedly helps Sharif replace Bhutto one year later. In October 1990, Nawaz Sharif is running for election to replace Benazir Bhutto as the prime minister of Pakistan.
The fact remains, that she was perhaps amongst the very few Pakistani Women and indeed from Asia who could have changed the political scenario.
In 2007 - some 28 years since she first made that promise - she once again made an extraordinary choice. She left a life of comfort and safety to return to Pakistan - knowing the risk, knowing the peril - to continue her fight and her struggle to fulfill that promise. And fulfill it she did. In life and in death, Benazir Bhutto lit a flame, a flame of hope, of courage, of commitment - a flame for the birth, realization, and hope of peace and democracy. The flame she lit is a flame we must commit ourselves to carry, to embrace, to rise high, and to never let be extinguished. We must all become keepers of the flame. In this way, she lives. Benazir lives. Her promise lives and will see fulfillment each day we carry, raise, and keep the flame. A flame that will live, and will burn, and will inspire people the world over for the duration of time. Her life here on this earth may have ended but her spirit lives on. And her cause goes on. It goes on within all of us who embrace her courage and her spirit - and who believe in the hope and vision that were the mission of her life. What makes a martyr is not the who or the how of the person's murder, but the why. Joan of Arc was martyred because she fought for and spoke for her beliefs - and because she was willing to pay the ultimate price for continue fighting for, and standing for, and speaking for what she believed in regardless of anything else.
Patrick Henry who famously said "Give me liberty or give me death," was willing to die - to lay down his life for his vision, hopes, beliefs, and convictions - and his commitment to such was stronger in his heart than the fear of death. Socrates made people think. Most people fear the truth as if it were death. Socrates did not, believing in the immortality of the soul. He went to his death not afraid, but eager to go and enjoy the fortunes of the blessed, drank poison like wine but did not bow his head. And so was Benazir Bhutto martyred - for standing up, speaking out, and struggling and fighting for her beliefs, for her vision, and for her hopes for her country, and for the rights, opportunities, and freedoms of its people. Her commitment, dedication, and belief in her cause and her vision called her to make the ultimate sacrifice, to pay the ultimate price. It was a sacrifice and a price that, throughout her life, she seemed to know in all her prescience and wisdom that she would one day have to pay. And she marched on. Ever onward.
With spirit and strength; with faith in God; with conviction and commitment to her beliefs and her vision and her cause; with hope; and always with courage, undaunted, unblinking, undying courage. What she gave to the world, to humanity, to time itself - courage, faith, spirit, bravery, love, kindness, self-sacrifice, optimism, and hope - will live forever. Her life was a light in an oft-darkened world. She was the embodiment of courage, beauty, and strength. She never failed to put her country and her people above and before herself. Her light has gone out of this world but will shine forever in the hearts of those who loved her. Her memory is enshrined forever in the fabric of time. And I know and believe that her courage and spirit will live forever in the hearts of those whose lives she touched; in the warm, immortal wind; and in the dusty earth of the land she loved. Hers truly was and forever will be in every way, a heart, a spirit, and a life without comparison.
She had longed to walk once again upon the dusty roads of her homeland. Now she walks there forever. Now she walks with God. Now she is free. As the "Daughter of Destiny" that she was, it was fated before her time on this earth even began that she would be a martyr for her country, her people, and for freedom and democracy. She died as she lived, embracing those who loved her with her beautiful smile and a heart full of love for Pakistan and its people. The idea and vision of a democratic Pakistan was the cause, the struggle, and the dream for which Benazir Bhutto so courageously gave her life. And it is an idea, a cause, and a dream that must not die with her - it is an idea, a cause, and a dream that must live and breathe and come to fruition. It is a struggle and a fight that she began - and it is a struggle and a fight that we must finish. when a reporter from the Times suggested that her life was the stuff of Greek tragedy, she laughed. "Well, I hope not so tragic," she said. "Don't all Greek dramas end in tragedy?" Benazir’s Bhutto's assassination was a blow to people all over Pakistan, and the world, who hold life sacred and believe in the basics precepts of democracy. It is also a blow to women worldwide who took strength from seeing such a courageous, articulate and charismatic woman playing a leadership role in a powerful Muslim country. Inside Pakistan, even her most bitter critics wept at the news of her death, understanding that it is indeed a dark day when assassination becomes a tool for eliminating opposing viewpoints.
She gave her life serving the cause and hope of democracy, equality, justice, freedom, and humanity. She was one of the greatest leaders and advocates for democracy and human rights that our world has ever known. She was a mother. She was a wife. She was a daughter and a sister. She was a friend. She was a remarkably special person. She was, is, and forever will be, every one inspiration. Benazir Bhutto lives. Her spirit lives forever in the hearts of those who loved her; in those to whom she gave hope; in those who were touched by her unbreakable, beautiful and special spirit; in those who were inspired by her courage, her bravery, and her largeness of soul. Those of us whose lives and hearts were forever touched and changed by hers - those of us who loved her - will forever carry her extraordinary spirit in our hearts. Hers was an extraordinary, epic life of tragedy, triumph, love, bravery, and sacrifice. She died as she lived - and as she will forever be remembered - a woman of great faith in God and of tremendous courage. Forever brave. Forever beautiful. Forever BENAZIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Benazir, They killed you, you knew they were going to kill you, the same people who killed your father, the same group of generals, politicians, mullahs and bourgeois, who did not want to see you as a liberal, educated leader, but you fought for us, you fought for democracy and freedom. You are our HERO and will always be... YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AND WILL BE ALIVE LIKE THEY NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE. May God give the people of Pakistan to fight the tyrants. Benazir! our hearts will cry for you on every beat until alive. She lives on.
You can imprison a man, but not an idea.
You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea." Long Live Bhuttoism.
BB, we miss you. We love you, we salute you for your courage. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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