Skip to content Skip to navigation

Benazir Assasination

Strife torn Pakistan witnessed yet another blood bath when a suicide bomber detonated himself inches from Pakistan’s former Prime minister Benazir Bhutto after she was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaqat Bagh Park. A gunman also shot her on the neck and chest ensuring that Bhutto does not escape death for a second time. Bhutto had earlier escaped a bid on her life on October 18 at Karachi in which 140 people died.

Leaders in Pakistan it seems are either doomed to have violent deaths or are banished from their native lands. Benazir’s father and former Prime minister Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto was hanged in this garrison town in 1979 after a military coup. Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was killed in 1951 in the same park where Benazir met her end. Nawaz Sharif yet another former prime minister was similarly banished from the country he ruled.

Benzir’s death has created a vacuum in Pakistan’s political scenario. Benazir was a leader to reckon with an iron lady who had the capacity and nerve to control a volatile nation like Pakistan. Her death triggered an upsurge of emotions in many parts of Pakistan turning it into a battleground of sorts as soon as news of her death spread. Benazir supporters angered by the assassination of their leader are thirsty for Musharraf’s blood and shouting "dog Musharaff", "Killer Musharraf" slogans.

Bhutto served twice as Pakistan’s Prime Minister between 1988 and 1996. She had returned to Pakistan from an eight- year exile on October 18.

Bhutto’s return to her country after years of exile and the ability of her party to contest free and fair elections had been a corner stone of Bush’s policy in Pakistan as it was observing the rising authoritarianism of Musharaff with concern.

With such a twist in the tale the elections in Pakistan hangs in balance. Pakistani leaders are slated for a trial by fire before anyone emerges as a leader of a nation of dissidents.

Photo: Benazir with father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi. Pix by Ibrahim Lutfy

Comments

charlie's picture

ITS OUR NEGHBIOUR COUNTRY BUT WHAT I FEEL ITS REALLY HORRIBLE NEWS AND PRESIDENT OF PAKISTHAN ALWAYS(FROM FIVE YEARS HE TOLD THIS) TOLD WE WILL CRUSH AL-QUIDA,TALIBAN AND AFTER THESES INCIDENT EVERYBODY WILL THINK WHERE IS COMMITMENT? SPECIALLY U.S.A.
jaay's picture

It’s a tragic incident and who can feel the pain more than us, who have lost numerous leaders to the terrorists in past. But you missed some major issues in your article, did I not read them or did you purposely left them off? It gives me no pleasure in pin pointing at this hour that the daemons struck back on the same very people who nurtured them and yes Just because she was a lady, she does not automatically qualifies to be an ‘IRON LADY’. Rather, if we see the things in the right prospective, it will be clear to us that she pursued the same hateful policies which were handed down to her vis-à-vis ‘WE WILL GIVE THOUSAND CUTS TO INDIA….’ If this is an obituary, well it’s OK, but if this what you feel about Ms Bhutto, then I am sorry, please do some more research. TALIBANS, Anti India Stance at UN, AQ Khan, proximity to Chinese just to downcast India, all this and more were the direct results of Ms Bhutto in Pakistan. I was travelling in a taxi, driven by a Pakistani in Houston Texas, this was about couple of months from now, he told me that People were against Bhutto so much, not because she was a women, but because of the RAAJ she created when she was in power, when people were dying of poverty and hunger, HER HORSES WERE BEING FED WITH APPLES. And I am not making it, I have heard it from the people where she belonged to and they believe that she was a setup by US to pursue American interest in Pakistan and mind you please do not read that it was favorable for India too. What worse could have been than having Americans stationed on Indian border? Remember, Rajiv Gandhi had to rush Indian Peace keeping force to Sri Lanka, just to ensure than Americans are kept out. Only history has the right to judge about the current happenings. We can only pray that things remain peaceful as the happenings are suggesting otherwise. God bless Ms Bhutto’s soul and offer her peace and I pray to god that he saves her children from the political fire.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Use photography as medium for change

22 Aug 2015 - 11:22am | CM Paul
‘Photography can act as a medium for change. It is a strong voice of the people. Photography exhibitions can create awareness among various sections of the society in this regard,’ said the Vice...

Havelock: The fascinating Island

25 Oct 2010 - 7:38pm | Manoj Kumar Das
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands had been on our travel plan for quite some time. We are a family of sea lovers. Something in our veins draws us inexplicably to the vast blue waters… and this...

Ashram team meets Rajkhowa

1 Oct 2015 - 9:46am | AT News Itanagar
A delegation of Parashuram Dham Seva Ashram met Arunachal Pradesh governor JP Rajkhowa at Raj Bhawan in Itanagar on Wednesday. Rajkhowa exhorted them to be part of Team Arunachal in promoting...

7 hurt in Kokrajhar road mishap

15 Jan 2018 - 5:12pm | AT News
Kokrajhar: Seven wage earners sustained injury when the mini truck on which they were travelling from Bilashipara in Dhuburi met with a mishap in Kokrajhar on Monday. The incident took place in the...

Other Contents by Author

“When bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follows”, says a tribal legend in Mizoram. Who better than the hardy Mizos would know this, considering that theirs is probably the only land on earth where history is closely intertwined with the mysterious cycle of bamboo flowering? Back in 1959, bamboo flowering in the state set off a chain of events in the rugged hilly state that ultimately led to one of the most powerful insurgencies against the Indian union spanning over two decades.Once again the legend threatens to become a reality as thousands of rats are rampaging through rice and vegetable fields in Mizoram, adding fuel to the growing fears of famine in the region....
The towering white structure of the Gauhat High Court, a landmark of Guwahati stands tall glimmering in the city skyline. A keeper of law and a defender of justice it has been advocating justice since the past sixty years of glorious existence.It was way back in the year 1948 on April 5 Ronald Francis Lodge was appointed the first Chief Justice of the Assam High Court. The Assam High Court was inaugurated by then chief justice of India Justice Harilal Kania in the present house of the district and sessions judge , Kamrup Guahati on the western bank of Dighalipukhuri. The inaugural ceremony was attended by many luminaries of Assam including Sir Akbar Hydari, Pemier Gopinath Bordoloi,...
Since the last few years the world has witnessed a not so silent revolution aiming women emancipation carried out mostly by the women for the women. The revolution has reached such a stage that today many women claim to walk shoulder to shoulder in the journey of life.An International Women’s Day observed on the March 8th is a flame that proves that women have come of age in an otherwise patriarchal society. Today there is hardly anything that a man can do which a woman cannot, provided she wills.Along with the rest of the world Guwahati too celebrated International Women’s Day. The Directorate of Social welfare organized a day long seminar and sale cum exhibition of the...
Assam tea is all set to make inroads in the markets of Pyramid land - Egypt. Assam tea producers are considering Egypt as the latest destination for Assam tea.Delegations of tea planters from the state recently back from Egypt and Israel have stated that Egypt has huge potential for the export of Assam tea. Egypt is presently importing its maximum tea from Kenya, which incidentally is the world’s largest tea producer.Of the 75 million kilogram which the total market area of tea in Egypt, 90 percent is supplied by Kenya and Indian tea including Assam tea supplies about 2.7 million kilograms (2006) of tea.The political unrest in Kenya may become beneficial to Assam if it takes advantage...
It is heartwarming to know that there are people and organizations that care to spare a thought for our four legged counterparts with whom we share this earth. Yes, it is a respite after the horrible incidents of poachers brutally mutilating rhinos to possess their horns to realize that scarred rhinos are being nurtured to health and returned to where they belong. The lions Club of Guwahati Seva has decided to donate a hydraulic tail-lift to the People For Animals (PFA). Sick and injured animals which are generally pulled by chains and ropes to be transported to hospitals will no longer have to undergo pain as the Hydraulic Lift will be used to pick them from streets to the PFA hospital....
To be or not to be a heritage site…. is the dilemma persering Majuli -- the largest river island in the world. The Centre seems to be at its wits end on deciding the status of Majuli island. The Centre has once again renominated Majuli island for inscription in the World Heritage Site List under the ‘Cultural Landscape’. After losing the battle in 2006 Majuli is once again back with a bang this year.The surprise announcement came yesterday even as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi declared that the Rs 20 crore sanctioned by the planning Commission in Delhi for the river island would not be spent on flood control measures but for preservation of the heritage sites.Majuli...
The flu – bird flu is back with a bang. The state Animal Husbandary and Veterinary Department sounded a health alert on Avian influnza in poultry in all the districts of Assam.Following the Bird Flu outbreak in Bengal the state has beefed up security measures so as to curb its effect in the state. Reports are rife that the bird flu outbreak in Bengal could turn out to be the worst in the country and may measure up to the crisis faced by Thailand, Bangladesh and Vietnam.Assam sounded its alert in the bordering districts which share borders with Bengal including Goalpara, Dubri, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon.RK Sharma, the deputy Secretary, Veterinary and Animal Husbandary Department stated...
It has finally arrived the dream car of the middle class Indian –the Nano, a Tata small car which was unveiled at the Auto Expo in New Delhi last night. Touted as the People’s car and the world’s cheapest at that the Nano is priced at an affordable Rs. One lakh. However it is to be noted here that the sticker price is not inclusive of the 12.5 percent value added tax and transportation costs from the plant at Singur, near Calcutta from where it will be manufactured.Ratan Tata, the Tata group chairman has shown the word that promises are made to be kept! The announcement of the small car project was made by Tata at the Geneva Auto Show in 2003 where his announcements were...
President’s rule was clamped in Nagaland and the Assembly kept in suspended animation after the coalition party Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) led by Rio’s Nagaland’s People’s Front (NPF) despite winning a controversial no confidence motion on December 13.Rio survived the trial of strength by 23-19 votes in te 60 member house. It survived because speaker Kiyanielie Peseyie barred three Independent MLAs from voting on the motion and declared invalid the votes of nine dissident NPF MLAs. The Neiphiu Rio government in Nagaland would have completed its full term of office but it failed to do so as it’s rule was ended by the declaration of president’...
Another year has gone by and it seems that in the entire year everything else but time stood still. For the troubles that Assam was afflicted with are still there but the year has passed with no one the wiser. Goodbye 2007 – Hello 2008 but will it be any different. Will the terrorist bombs go silent in this brand new year? Will killing of the innocent stop this year? Will families feel sure about their dear ones this year? Will bandhs become a thing of the past this year? Of course not whom are we kidding?The strides of modernism seem to have ushered in its wake a host of psychological anxiety to man’s life or else why is the entire world wallowing in strife. Religious...