Thursday, December 27, 2007

Benazir Bhutto 1953-2007

Benazir Bhutto died in an apparent suicide bombing in Rawalpindi today. Inna Lillaha Wa Inna Ilaihe Rajeoon. May her soul rest in peace.


The increasing violence in Pakistan, witnessed recently, will further intensify after Benazir's assassination. Regardless of one's political views, this assassination must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and fully investigated and perpetrators brought to justice. Let us hope that the country does not descend into full-scale civil war. May Allah guide us all in this difficult period and protect Pakistan. Amen.



The Bhutto family, sitting left to right in back row: Nusrat, Shahnawaz, Zulifiqar Ali, Sanam. In front, Murtaza and Benazir.

5 comments:

Babar said...

Regardless how anyone want to place the facts and unfold the story, the precisely planned killing of Benazir Bhutto is itself a reality pointing out clearly that actually she was the real threat to the forces working against Pakistan. May her soul rest in peace. May Allah help her family to bear this irrepairable loss and give Pakistan a leadership that can project the saner image of the country and true Islam.

Today, while the ex-cabinet members who claim that they were highly intrumental in crushing terrorism in the northern areas and Lal Masjid, are addressing the rallies without suicidal attacks, it needs serious thinking as why Benazir was the target of suicidal attack? Why she was not attacked in the rallies held in the northern areas and why right under the nose of GHQ? If Baitullah Mahsood is behind the attack (as per latest version of the govt.) and govt. tapped the conversation right at the time when congratulations were being exchanged, how close the govt. is sitting while doing nothing? At the time of her killing, was she a threat to Baitullah Mahsood or to Musharraf and Muslim League (Q)? Under the given circumstances was the killing initiated by Baitullah Mahsood or he conducted the opreration for someone else?

We are not children. We know very well that if Indian agencies plan a bomb blast in Pakistan, the name of the attacker would be Abdullah and if Pakistani agencies would do a job in India, the culprit would be Mukesh Sharma.

Anonymous said...

Patriotism of Pakistanis could be tested any where in the world by asking them to help their country in rainy days but what about super class of people (richest fuedals, industrialists, drug lords and above all the politicians who successfully run the highly profitable business of politics in the Pakistan. An estimated rate of profit in Pakistani politics is 1000 to million per cent, details can be calculated by politicians increasing wealth. Majority of Pakistanis living abroad are labor class and highly skilled professional. No body give them money for nothing. They have to work hard for it. Some of them are businessmen who also work very hard to earn their fortune. There is no favor or nepotism in open markets of the world. After all these hard work they should give money to the country because few people of super class have taken country wealth abroad. I have lived and worked in Middle East and visited Europe and now living in USA for last 10 years, I found average Pakistan more patriotic that upper class of the country. We are ready to come forward again and will help/ invest in the country but this upper class should be stopped to taking national wealth abroad and participate accordingly in saving and investing in the country. At present two richest group of politician in power, they should provide the biggest share instead of going for begging to the rich nations. The richest nations are not rich by begging but by hard work. The upper class should go and observe how hard Chinese are working, come to USA and observe how people work and live here.The government of Pakistan should imediatly issue foreign currency investment bond offering good rate of return still better than IMF and world Bank, We Pakistanis abroad will buy with our savings and is a great help. The bonds should be gaureneted by international authorities The editor of Pakistan Times is a talented lady who invite us to write these comments. Her services are highly appreciated by Pakistanis living abroad. Pray for the country where majority population is helpless in front of few exploiters of supper class of rich politicians and defense forces have no choice but to defend them in the system. All the best. KHWAJA AFTAB ALI, Advocate & I.P. Attorney, presently residing in Florida, USA.

Anonymous said...

FIVE REGIONAL CITIES should be upgraded with in the provinces in Pakistan. Regional cities of Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP, Gawadar/ Qalat in Balouchistan, Sukkar/ Larkana in Upper Sind, Jehlam/ Rawalpindi and Multan in Punjab province. These regional cities have been ignored by the federal and provincial governments although these cities have their own history, culture and languages.Dera Ismail Khan in south of Pakhtun khwa/MWFP is under seige, Multan/DG Khan in south of Punjab is next target of religious extremists,Sukkar/ Larkana is being rule by criminals, Gawadar/ Qalat is trouble some. The people of these regions have to travel to provincial capitals for every small issue and requirement of the daily life which should be provided in nearby cities. A good number of population travel to big cities for their survival to earn livelihood as the local feudal own majority land and keep the common man as their slaves. Creation of regional government and upgrading of the regional cities will save a lot of money and time of the poor people of these regions. Circuit benches of the High Courts are already working in these areas and only requirement is the additional staff of different departments involved in additional work at the provincial capitals. The concern authorities should immediately consider to upgrade the regional cities. And immediate attention should be given upgrade/build the airports,TV station, civic center, libraries,hospitals, educational institutes and investment opportunities for Pakistanis living abroad and foreign firms to create jobs in the area as majority population in rural Pakistan do not have enough resources to survive. It remind me the condition of pre Islamic revolution of Iran in Shah time when the rural Iran was ignored and the capital Tehran was developed in a way to call it Paris of Middle East with modern life style. Couple of other big cities like Isfahan and Caspian sea was taken care of because of foreign tourists but rural area was ruled by cruel police and intelligence. Then what happen rural population supported the Islamic revolution and moved to Tehran and other big cities later on. The new government after revolution developed, built and upgraded the rural areas of Iran accordingly. A fund to upgrade/build these regional cities in Pakistan should be intoduced by public and private sector and Pakistani government, our foreign friends and Pakistanis living abroad may be asked to participate in this development mission in the country..KHWAJA AFTAB ALI,( former secretary, Iranian embassy, Saudi Arabia,1975-88) Advocate High Court & I.P. Attorney-first & the only Pakistani lawyer who earned Intellectual Property laws scholarship in USA,presently residing in Florida, USA. all_languages@hotmail.com

Riaz Haq said...

The conclusion of Sherbaz Mazari's book on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1970s:

(the following is being included much against my grain, only to show the kind of man Bhutto was, and to what limits he could go):

On the sixth day of the hunger strike I experienced severe chest pains that almost rendered me unconscious. I sensed someone watching me from the other side of the bars. I was surprised to see the jail superintendent standing there all by himself. He seemed very perturbed for some reason. Then strangely he broke down, “as a jail superintendent I’ve done some awful things in my life but I have my limits. Bhutto Saheb personally rings me up almost daily to see if I have broken you yet. But today he gave me orders which, even though I am scared of him, I cannot obey. I have applied for leave and am taking off tomorrow. I’ll face the consequences of my decision but my mind is made up”. Then he warned me, “the deputy jail superintendent is a vicious man, I don’t know what will happen when I’m gone” ----------

I had known Bhutto for some 23 years. To him lying, double-dealing and deceit were normal means of attaining and keeping power. His evident acceptance of new elections was now belied by his unexpected trip abroad. It was a clear indication that mischief was afoot.

During one of the PNA meetings at Sihala Asghar khan revealed disturbing news, Bhutto had decided to deal with the PNA hardliners once and for all. Bhutto had now concocted an ingenious plan by which Kausar Niazi and Ghulam Mustafa Khar would become victims of an assassination plan. In retaliation an enraged PPP mob would then proceed to murder Asghar Khan, Shah Ahmed Noorani and myself. This may seem a bit farfetched to some, but even Kausar Niazi, one of the plot’s two sacrificial victims, believed in its authenticity.

Gen Arif writes about a very revealing episode: “Gen Zia expressed his apprehension to Bhutto that, if the agitation did not end, it could erode army’s discipline and cause division in the ranks. This would be a disaster for the army and for the country. Mr Bhutto sensed the mood and laid on the charm, “you are my brother and I trust you”. He asked Gen Zia not to get unduly worried as the government did not plan to employ the army in a hurry again. He went on to confide that he had taken ‘other measures’ to deal with the PNA situation. That statement rang an alarm in Gen Zia’s mind”.

The rest is history.

Here's the link to extensive excerpts from the book on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto- "The Journey to Disillusionment" by Sherbaz Khan Mazari:

http://www.pakalumni.com/forum/topics/sherbaz-khan-mazari-on

Riaz Haq said...

A 1979 Time magazine report said the following:

A message by Bhutto, smuggled out of prison before the Supreme Court ruling, warned that "my sons will not be my sons if they do not drink the blood of those who shed my blood."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912367,00.html#ixzz1KJysTc7P