PESHAWAR, Dec 26 (APP): As the dusk fell on the fateful day of December 27, 2007, the Pakistani nation lost a charismatic and most popular leader, Benazir Bhutto, to a gun-and-bomb attack amid hundreds of thousands of supporters outside Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, 54, was one of the very few international stature personalities who embraced martyrdom while being surrounded by a sea of supporters outside Liaqat Bagh and became immortalized forever.
A leader of great quality of head and heart with a taste of political know-how, the twice elected premier of Pakistan and first woman prime minister of Muslim world left a luxurious life and came to her country after a long exile on October 18, 2007, with an aim to rid the country of an anti-democratic forces and restore democracy besides wage a battle against terrorism.
Despite severe threats to her life, the daughter of one of Pakistan’s most charismatic politicians and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had followed the rich tradition of her illustrious family and did not flee danger and continued her election campaign.
On October 18, 2007, when she arrived at Karachi from Dubai, hundreds of thousands of her supporters thronged the port city to welcome her beloved leader amid pro BB slogans.
Even the deadly explosion at Karsaz rally in Karachi where about 140 people were killed and more than 450 wounded could not deter her from election campaign as the celebrated leader knew that only democracy was a remedy to the topsy-turvy setup and solution of peoples’ problems during that era.
“Death was meaningless for Benazir Bhutto Shaheed as she came to Pakistan for the socioeconomic emancipation of the underprivileged, restoration of peace and revival of genuine democracy in the country despite severe threats to her life,” said Ahmad Kundi, PPP Parliamentary leader in KP Assembly while talking to APP on her 18th martyrdom anniversary to be observed with great respect on Saturday.
“Benazir Bhutto lived for the people and died for them,” he said, adding Mohtarama BB Shaheed always thought about the welfare of Pakistanis and was an identity of the country for being an international leader and symbol of federation.
“Benazir Bhutto tried her level best to bring Muslim countries and the west closer, and eradicate terrorism but unfortunately lost her life, leaving millions of her supporters in deep shock and saddened,” he said.
Professor Dr Ejaz Khan, former Chairman, International Relations Department at University of Peshawar said her sweet memories and democratic struggle against inimical forces are still alive in the people’s hearts.
“Benazir Bhutto’s thinking was democratic and progressive. She wanted to restore genuine democracy vital to eradicate terrorism as shs was harbinger of peace in Pakistan.”
“History is witness to the fact that the sacrifice of blood matters the most when it comes to an accomplishment of any mission. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto kept the torch of democracy alive in Pakistan by shedding her blood at Liaqat Bagh,”he said.
Dr Ejaz said she was removed from the political scene in a bid to destabilize Pakistan.
He said the leaders, who ruled the hearts and minds of the nation never feared death; like the case of Benazir, adding the forces loyal to democracy have now learned that wrangling between the political parties only strengthens hands of negative forces.
He said pro-democratic political parties with a diversified culture agreed on a single point to take forward the ship of democracy in the country.
Professor Dr AH Hilali, former chairman Political Science Department at University of Peshawar said that Benazir’s martyrdom had weakened anti democratic forces, and led to dawn of a new era of democracy in Pakistan.
“Benazir Bhutto loved Islam from the core of her hearts and had a great regard for eastern values and culture. In spite of her education in top universities and colleges of the west, she upheld the eastern traditions and did not deviate from the Islamic teachings.”
Though Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was a leader of a popular party and her struggle was for enforcement of democracy, she never abandoned eastern values.
“Benazir Bhutto Shaheed proved her claim to be the Daughter of the East as she always covered her head with traditional white headscarf and never shook hand with any dignitary which speaks her love for Islam.”
Mohtarma loved Pasthuns as she knew that they had suffered immensely during the war on terror. On December 1, 2008, when she came to Peshawar during her election campaign amid “Gye Bhutto and Long Live Benazir” full throated slogans from hundreds of thousands of PPP supporters in the walled city of Peshawar, she said, “I seek your help and cooperation to turn this land of Pashtuns into a peaceful zone. I appeal to you not to fall into the trap of those who believed in violence. Reject those who want to form their government at gunpoint. I ask my Pashtun brothers to come forward for peace and support PPP.
BB Shaheed was of the view that a true democratic Govt had the ability to provide the masses security, peace and employment besides bring development to their underdeveloped areas.
PPP leader Shazia Tehmas said ‘Shaheed-e-Jamhooriat’ considered KP was her second home and a strong bastion of PPP and pillar of Pakistan. “Benazir Bhutto Shaheed loved Pasthuns very much and termed them a frontline force of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed.”
Besides peace and development, Benazir advocated political, social and economic empowerment of KP people and always laid great emphasis on their education, poverty alleviation, employment and establishment of industries to provide jobs to the unemployed ones.
She said Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was a multi dimensional personality and a role model for politicians and her actions were positively followed by people.
“In the beginning of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) programme, Govt was facing a lot of problems, especially convincing parents to vaccinate their children against the polio
disease,” she said, adding the situation had significantly improved after Benazir Bhutto Shaheed administered anti-polio drops to her daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari in 1994, which dispelled all the doubts and propaganda against the vaccine.
She said a polio-free Pakistan was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, adding that her mission to rid the country of polio will be completed. She said though Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed is not among us today; however, her guiding principles, thoughts and politcal vision are a great source
of inspiration for the nation.
