The Princess

Despite her impulsive behaviour, Benazir Bhutto was a ray of hope for all those who cherish a democratic polity in Pakistan. She braved imprisonment and exile and her charisma attracted the downtrodden and the elite alike. She was no doubt like a princess and went away like a martyr.

I remember when Benazir Bhutto arrived in Pakistan in 1986 after self-exile in Britain, she drew huge crowds in many cities of Pakistan including Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The province was traditionally dominated by nationalist Baloch veterans like Nawab Khair Bux Marri, Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Ghous Bux Bizenjo.

When military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq perished in a mysterious air crash on August 17, 1988, along with several top generals and the then US ambassador in Pakistan, Bhutto was the only alternative for a demoralised army. She was also a source of strength for thousands of political activists in Pakistan who were imprisoned, tortured and even flogged by the military dictator who ruled the country for 11 long years through sheer force and demagogy.

There was euphoria in the masses when she again arrived in Pakistan in 1988. Upon hearing the news that Bhutto had swept the elections, I remember common men and women had danced in the streets, distributed sweets and prostrated before God. However, her brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was brutally murdered in a police shootout during the second tenure of Bhutto, believed otherwise. He thought Bhutto had made a compromise with the establishment since she agreed that Ghulam Ishaq Khan would continue as president and Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, Foreign Minister during the Zia era, would continue in the same capacity.....Continue

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