Benazir Bhutto: Death of Hope and Dilemma

Benazir Bhutto 54 years young (1953-2007), daughter of east, darling of west, strong and charismatic, two-times prime minister of Pakistan, for-life leader of Pakistan People’s Party set foot in Pakistan after years of self exile to restore democracy in the country. But fate had it in store for her to shatter mortal bonds while on an election campaign trail. She is survived by three young children and her husband Asif Zardari.

This is a somber moment for reflection on human tragedy. It also calls for thoughtfulness about her as the leader who claimed her utmost commitment to the cause of democracy.

Bhutto’s and their family-history has become epitome of Shakespearian tragedy where lives with great promise easily turn into dust. Benazir Bhutto’s assassination may be an event of as much significance as surrender of Pakistani forces in 1971. Her death has the potential of pushing Pakistan from uncertainty to the brink of disaster.

In 1971, fault line between two wings of Pakistan led to secession of eastern wing as Bangladesh. Almost 60 years long history of Pakistan without stable institutions other than military has created rifts within remaining Pakistan along regional and ideological lines.

Benazir Bhutto certainly headed one of the biggest trans-regional, secular parties in Pakistan to lay the foundation of democratic process and yet held on to for-life leadership of her party. It may be an unseemly moment to talk about other parties in Pakistan but one must not forget that democracy in Pakistan revolves around personalities not vision or institutions. This is a dilemma that many other poor nations also share.

Democracy in Pakistan has never taken roots for reasons as historic as feudalism, as distant from masses as elitism and as irrational as strong military institution. Benazir twice got the chance to bring about democratic changes in the country but she was cut short for watering democracy with corruption.

Pakistan, one of the poor states in the world, armed with advanced nukes technology and distant from concerns of common man is split with conflicting interests and little ground for optimism. Military and budding capitalists are in alliance with feudalist structure to reign the country as ever before. Past experience with democracy has not changed anything much but military rule has always been an absolute disaster.

Pakistan, a country with nukes has one of the fastest growing population rates in the world, low literacy rate and even faster dwindling natural resources. It is not easy for poor countries with large foreign debt to sustain an expensive military while nation is divided along regional, ideological and religious-sectarian lines. These are perfect circumstances for violence to break out. Pakistan has more than its due share of violence at this juncture of history.

Benazir has broken mortal bonds but dilemmas remain. Pakistan Peoples Party that once held an air of assurance to empower the impoverished and bond the fragmented people into one progressive democratic nation remains without a leader. It is a stark reality of contradictions, one among numerous others.

Benazir Bhutto’s life had been tumultuous from personal tragedies to fascinating political career with few accomplishments. She was the first women to lead a Muslim nation. However, she backed away from revoking some laws that curtailed civil liberties. Religious and women rights fall in the same category.

She blessed Pakistan’s nuclear technology against global pressure and helped it move ahead against all odds. She also helped Taliban movement, as some critics have noted, but she withered away from both of these stances lately to yield to wishes of the West.

Trouble in Pakistan with the military rule rekindled Benzir’s political career in the midst of criminal charges. However, it was cut short again this time. Fateful bullet of a sniper slit her throat.

With that, destiny of Pakistan becomes even more uncertain because she symbolized hope for lots of Pakistanis who see democracy through strength of leadership. She was indomitable leader of the political party that represented modernist and moderate elements in politics where extremism was being feared both within the country and abroad.

She was more seasoned a politician at her ripe age now. But she fell while running another leg to elections, which even if she won, would have been controversial. That’s what she was and that’s how she struggled for her last political breath.

Her loss is an enormous tragedy for her family and children. It is a big loss for Pakistan because she was hope for lots of Pakistanis for whatever it was worth. She was the promise to transcend divisions in the society and contradictions in politics by virtue her persona.

But, death of Benazir Bhutto is an even more significant loss for the west that myopically supports personalities than people and institutions in the countries of interest.

tahir.qazi@yahoo.com
December 27, 2007