I happened to see Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for the first time
when I was posted in Karachi in 1978 post-1977 coup at Karachi airport. I
remained posted in Karachi during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government where I had
ample chances to interact with senior leaders of PPP and close aides of ZAB,
which included Hafeez Pirzada, Sattar Gabol, Qasim Patel, Pyar Ali Allana, Jam
Sadiq, Hafeez Cheema, Habib Ullah, and Mustafa Jatoi. It was a great experience
to work in this tenure of PPP.
Unfortunately, when ZAB became a victim of ‘judicial murder’
in the dictatorial regime of Ziaul Haq, most of the above mentioned close
political aides switched their loyalties and left him. None of them was found
leading resistance movement against the hanging of ZAB consequent to a
controversial hearing of his case. The judicial murder of ZAB caused serious
political damaged to his party, which took it decades to recover from the loss.
Zia regime terrorised the PPP workers and leaders and hence mid-level leadership
went into hiding.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto (Pinky as her father would
affectionately call her) decided to struggle to save her papa. However, she was
locked and her voice was suppressed behind high walls of Sukkur jail. Sometimes
authorities would put her under house arrests to not let her carry out the
struggle.
She once confided in me during an informal discussion that
sometimes the food supply would not be allowed to enter the sub-jail and she
had to cook the available piece of fish with lime and salt under sun heat using
her bit of knowledge of cooking. Her locking up in jail and continuous
persecution caused her loss of hearing of one ear but she was not allowed the
treatment in time. Indeed, it was not easy to bear the heat of June and July in
the shabby rooms of Pakistani jails.
She continued her struggle but could not save her Papa from
the powerful jaws of Gen Zia duly backed by a world power, which had claimed to
teach a lesson to her Papa who declined to bow before their wish to roll back
the nuclear development. The tree of nuclear planted by him not only survived
but born fruit in the form of nuclear bomb and Pakistan became the first
Islamic nuclear power. ZAB made it possible with sacrificing himself. He would,
however, live forever in the minds and hearts of Pakistani nation.
Pinky of Papa decided to take the responsibility of carrying
the unfinished mission of ZAB. She started her campaign fearlessly and emerged
a true leader of the people. She acted very maturely and played her political
cards very wisely and free of mistakes. She went in exile as strategy and Zia
regime continued chasing her and her brothers abroad. Eventually, Shah Nawaz
Bhutto was killed through the influence of a world power. It was fact Gen Zia
was too scared of determined Shah Nawaz Bhutto.
I investigated this matter post-murder in Cannes under the
instructions of PM Benazir Bhutto. It was a tragic and heart-hitting moment
when I briefed both Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Begum Sahiba in the PM House. I
am unable to express the feelings of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as sister and
Begum Sahiba as a mother how they were hurt while listening to the details of
the investigation. The murder of her brother was yet another price for
preservation and restoration of democracy in the country after hanging of his
great father. The enemies of Bhutto made another hit by killing her elder
brother, as planned murder and mystery of suicidal of SHO Mr Haq Nawaz Sial
were not yet resolved. It is evident that killing of Murtaza Bhutto was part of
a larger plan to oust her government.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto continued to face tragedies all her
life including the torture of her mother at Karachi airport by the police,
which resulted in the memory loss of her mother. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
continued to look after her mother under all odd circumstances till her death.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto always displayed bravery and did not
succumb to the pressure of dictators as she continued to rise and rise and the
world witnessed her rise when she landed in Lahore and millions of people received
her at Lahore airport.
Like her father, during her second exile period, her 17 MNAs
ditched her and sided with the dictator to join his government. One day prior
to their change of hearts, all of them had a lunch with her and assured her of
their loyalties but on very next day, they decided to leave her and join the
establishment. I saw her very gloomy on that day and she used words for them,
which I would not like to repeat.
She continued to face the cases where her own party men had
become the most powerful ministers in the cabinet of Gen Musharraf.
She was a God fearing person and woman of character and she
earned respect internationally. She emerged as a leader of the leaders. I
remember when we were in Bangkok upon the invitation of Mr Thaksin Shinawatra,
the then PM of Thailand and her speech was on the last day of the conference
and many heads of the states had delayed their flights just to listen to her
speech and she made a historic speech on democracy.
While in exile she was always on the move and always
projected Pakistan in a positive light but continued to struggle against the
dictator. It was her thought that the mainstream political parties must work
together rather against each other to strengthen democracy in the country,
which ultimately culminated in the signing of Charter of Democracy (CoD) in
2006 between PPP and PML/N. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif
signed the CoD at my residence in London.
She did manage to oust dictator but in the struggle, she
lost her life and on return from exile, Mian Nawaz Sharif forgot all the things
he had committed in CoD as he was the first to lead anti- PPP campaign. She was
born for Pakistan and democracy and she lost her life for Pakistan and
democracy.
I had served with her as head of FIA and then assisted her
while in exile and acted as her lead representative in almost all political
dialogues with Gen. Pervez Musharraf, MQM and world leaders. It was a great
experience to work under her guidance and she used to believe in flawless jobs.
I noticed a great level of creativity in Aseefa Bhutto
Zardari and I am quoting an incident hereby:
It was mid-June when Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had left for
her lecture in the USA. All three children Bakhtawar, Bilawal and Aseefa stayed
behind in their London flat with maid Sita. It was just before midnight of 20th
that I got a call on my mobile by Aseefa saying: “Uncle I want to give birthday
surprise to mum when she returns at 6.00 am in the morning and I need to
decorate the house with something special to greet her.” I got it arranged
pooling my efforts to convert the flat into truly welcoming atmosphere with all
kind of fancy decoration. I went to receive Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto from
terminal 4 of the airport in the morning and I was supposed to tell her that a
birthday surprise was waiting for her at home arranged by Aseefa. The flight
landed and I drove her to the flat, which was at the fourth floor. She entered
and the greeting chanting of happy birthday to Mama by Aseefa and her bother
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari welcomed her, which
was very pleasant scene. She had deep love and affection for Aseefa and said
that she knew that it would surely be Aseefa’s idea to greet her with warmth. I
am witness to the love she had for her children.
The cruel game of politics and anti-Bhutto sentiments have
snatched away a loving mother from the kids and her family is paying a heavy
price to hold the flag of PPP and the mission of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto high.
The family will never able to get the love and care of their
mother and nothing can companionate the missing love of their mother. She was a
great wife too who always used to pray for Asif Sahib and always used to recite
Quranic verses on the telephone and pray for him.
She has gone through long duration of victimization
especially when she and Mr Asif Ali Zardari were convicted under the direct
instructions of the then PM Nawaz Sharif and Chief Justice of Lahore High Court
Rashid Aziz. We received the conversation duly tapped by an official of the IB
and entire planning and it was made public under the directions of Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto. It is now history how we got the shameful judgement overturned from the
Supreme Court. But this is a separate story and needs a detailed account. This
story has already appeared in Sunday Times, UK, exposing all the characters.
She used to pursue the trial of her cases in the court along
with Mr Asif Ali Zardari. The trials further strengthened the bond of love
between the couple. The children missed a part of their life without their
father while they were growing, as he was put behind the bars.
The story of Bhutto family is a tragedy but worth
celebrating. The family was victimised because the family rendered unmatched
services and a voice to the masses.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, you must be proud of your
children. I wish you could see the young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whom we drove
once to Oxford, is a grown-up young man and leading the party. I remember you
teaching him and I wish to see him the Prime Minister of Pakistan. I have great
confidence in Bilawal Bhutto to carry the nation through the numerous
challenges with his two sisters to his aide who are equally capable.
I firmly believe that had she been not victimized she would
not have left the county and she would have alive today.
Although she has left us forever, however, her memories will
always remain in our hearts as well as her political legacy and wisdom which
will keep inspiring the masses and especially workers of PPP. She fought
against two dictators and she defeated both of them and she continued to
advocate for democracy till her last breath.
Let us pray May God bless her soul in peace.
The writer is a PPP Senator, former Interior Minister of
Pakistan, and Chairman of think tank “Global
Eye” and Senate Body on Interior and Narcotics. rmalik1212@gmail.com Twitter: @senrehmanmalik
The Article was published in Daily The Nation dated June 21st,
2018 with link https://nation.com.pk/21-Jun-2018/shaheed-benazir-leader-of-the-masses
No comments:
Post a Comment