Benazir Bhutto: birth of an immortal

By Nisar Ahmed Khuhro

WHO says Benazir Bhutto is not with us? She is a martyred and martyrs are alive, though physically she is not with us now, but ideologically she is with us and always will be. Whereas, four years ago, a heavy below was struck on the existence of this country to eradicate the roots of democracy for good from the country, to put the people under clutches of dark clouds of tyranny, to usurp the basic and fundamental rights of people. A nefarious design was implemented to throw this land into the era of darkness by martyring Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in Liaquat Bagh on December 27 2007. Though, physically, those anti-democratic forces managed to succeed, but to the contrary, terrible grief gripped the whole nation and waves of mourning took into the souls and hearts of the nation and Pakistan on the whole witnessed the mourning of Benazir Bhutto and the country went dumbfound.

Whereas those anti-democratic forces were not very well conversant with the fact that Benazir Bhutto is not the name of a physical body or a person. Rather it is the name of a vision, which stands for democracy, development, progress, social and economic uplift of the people, and this is an acknowledged fact that ideas or vision never dies.

Benazir Bhutto is not with us physically, but her vision, ideas and philosophy is still alive and leading us to stride on the path of democratic Pakistan and making it a more stabilised and honoured nation amongst the comity of nations. As it has remained a tradition in this country that whenever it has gone near the brink of the destruction, Bhutto has been brought at the front stage to save it. After the dismemberment of East Pakistan and it’s emergence as an independent state, the remaining West Pakistan became too fragile and weak and was on the verge of collapse, but it was the one and only Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who not only saved the country but raised the morale of the nation and military, and soon Pakistan stood in the rank of honoured nations of the world.

When look at the progressive and developing history of Pakistan, we find only and only Bhuttos into that chapter of history, for Bhuttoism has become the symbol of democracy, progress and development.

Benazir Bhutto is the name of a vision, which is unique, as she was. We discover Benazir Bhutto as the most powerful personality of the world. Bhutto is neither a name nor a caste, but a vision and a platform, on which struggle appears everywhere in every sphere of life.

Her vision teaches us to continue the struggle for democracy. Her vision will be fulfilled when we have a democratic Pakistan, “Benazir’s Pakistan”, and we will never abandon our struggle whether in government or out of government to make Pakistan that she dreamed of, to wit, as she was and is Benazir, so we will make Benazir’s Pakistan according to her unique vision.

As she was a world leader and her vision was also for the whole developing world, her vision for a third millennium is of daring choice and incredible opportunity, where the gap between the rich and the poor states evaporates, where illiteracy and hunger and malnutrition are subjugated, human rights are equal, and self determination unabridged anywhere on the planet, where civil dialogue is honoured, where consensus and comity once again guide national and international debate, where people’s trust in the government is restored and the government is responsible, where every child is planned, wanted, nurtured and supported. In brief, I would like to say that Benazir Bhutto was with us, and is with us, and will always be with us, as she has become a symbol of democracy, enlightenment, moderation, peace, tranquillity, harmony, progress, evolution and development for Third World countries, and her vision and philosophy will be guiding us for the good.

The writer is the speaker of the Sindh Assembly

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