By Noor Hussain Awan
A name of struggle , Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto during her whole life she never stopped her struggle for her family, her people and her country. From her birth to her martyrdom she stayed available to others.
She had many achievements in her life, she became the Chairperson of the biggest Political Party in 1982 and in 1988 the first Lady Prime Minister of Pakistan, first Lady Prime Minister of any Muslim State of the world.
Before becoming the head of Pakistan People’s Party, the path of difficulties starts in 1977 with the removal of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Butto’s government and the beginning of Zia regime. As she wrote in her last book Reconciliation “I was sleeping in my room, without knowing what a disaster was coming to me, my mother ran in to my room and waked me up and said General Zia has Imposed Martial Law in the country and your father has been arrested. This moment I had no wards to say, in real It was the start of my Political journey.”
She started struggles along with her Mother against Zia military dictatorship and the false cases charged against her father and then she was house arrest at home and finally Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged on 4 April 1979 in the Murder case of Mr. Qusuri father of Ahmed Raza Qusuri. After the judicial assassination of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto SMBB, his brother and mother was again arrested and by watching the victory of Pakistan People’s Party General Zia postponed National General Elections in the country.
Banazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and her mother Madam Nusrat Bhutto was then transferred to a desert Jail in Interior Sindh in 1981. She wrote the condition of that Jail “ The summer heat turned my Cell into an oven. My skin split and peeled, coming of my hands in sheets. Boils erupted on my face, my hair which has always been thick began to come out by the handful. Insects crept into the cell like invading armies. Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, stinging flies, bees and bugs came up through the cracks in the floor and through the open bars from the courtyard. Big black ants, cockroaches, seething clumps of little red ants and spiders. I tried pulling the sheet over my head at night to hide from their bites, pushing it back when it got too hot to breath.”
After this too hot imprisoned she was then hospitalizes for the longtime, and then transferred to Karachi Central Jail because of this long illness and imprisoned SMBB needed a place where can she have some peace to survive, then on International Pressure General Zia allowed Bhutto Family to travel abroad for Medical treatment in the begging of 1984. After the surgery she told to the International Community and International Media that how the Imprisons are tortured in Jails under Zia Regime.
Again she started her struggle but now this time she was in full form, and she successfully build a pressure on General Zia to hold a referendum to prove his legitimacy in the country in actual the state Machinery was used and on other side SMBB listened about the killing of her brother in a Local Hotel in France again it was a shocking news for her. After some time again Zia was pressurized by the international community to hold general elections but Zia announced Non-Party basis elections and SMBB boycotted the elections with reason of that the elections are not by the constitution of Pakistan and she continued her fight against Army dictatorship.
Her struggle was continue against Zia regime, unfortunately one day world listened the news of the Plan crash in Pakistan in that Plan General Zia was travelling and he lost his life, he got his dictatorship back with himself in August 1988. Then in November Pakistan hold general elections and Pakistan People’s Party got the highest seats in the National Assembly as well as in the Provincial Assemblies.
Finally on December 2nd 1988 SMBB became the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan and the First Lady Prime Minister of any Muslim Country of the world. On arriving the Prime Minister Secretariat she addressed a big crowd “We gather together to celebrate freedom, to celebrate democracy, to celebrate the three most beautiful words in English language, “We the People”.
Then after a longtime of Zia regime people of Pakistan was feeling freedom, SMBB allowed all NGOs to work free in all sectors, all Labor unions, media/ press and students unions were allowed to work freely, the environment of the country was full of democratic norms. But after a very short time SMBB’s Govt faced so many conspiracies and then after very short term of 1988 to 1990 only two years SMBB’s Govt was dismissed by the President Ghulam Ishaque Khan. Then she served as Leader of opposition against Nawaz Shareef Govt from 1990 to 1993 which was elected as Islamic Democratic Allience (IDA) but this Govt also was not successful to continue for five years the Govt was dismissed after very short term in 1993 President Ghulam ishaque Khan also resigned along with dismissal of Nawaz Govt.
Then again in 1993 elections PPP came with the 86 seats in Nationl Assembly and and with 74 seats PMLN was in second position SMBB made a coalitional Govt and then again after short term again she was faced with many conspiracies in the shape of Corruption by PPP’s own President Farooq Khan Laghari having educational background of Kingston University of London but having no political sense and having no political background SMBB selected him to make an educated President from Baluchistan to remove the negative impression that Baluchistan is Isolated since the foundation of Pakistan having no opportunity to have PM’s or Presidential Seat, but this inexperienced political President dismissed his own elected Govt on the military indication to save his own Presidency.
Then again Nawaz Shareef came with majority in the National Assembly and became 2nd time Prime Minister and ruled the country from 1997 to 1999 in this duration SMBB stayed in Dubai along with her three Children and acted as Leader of Opposition and her husband Asif Ali Zardari was charged with corruption cases and was Jailed by the Nawaz Govt and then in 1999 crises between Nawaz Shareef and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharaf resulted in the removal the democratic elected Govt and imposed Martial Law for the 3rd time in country.
In 2002 General Pervez Musharaf hold general elections in the country and PPP came with 80 seats in the Parliament but some of PPP’s member of the assembly left Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians and made Pakistan People’s Party Patriot leaded by Faisal Saleh Hayat with Mushraf Party PMLQ and MQM. Mir Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali a baloch Prime Minister first time in the history of Pakistan and later he was exchanged with Shoukat Aziz a British puppet Prime Minister of Pakistan. Musharaf ruled the country for twelve years and the last five years as President as well as a military dictator till 2007 and announced general elections at end of 2007 but in this duration something happened which will be never forget a Black December .
In September SMBB announced to come back to Pakistan in an interview given to wolf Blitzer to CNN she also admitted the possibility of attack on herself in Pakistan but she did not surrender against terrorists she announced the date of 18 October 2007 her return to Karachi.
Here I want to add something which I saw with my own eyes, as a by birth Jiyala having ability to vote for the first time, I was desperately waiting for my Political Mother Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto to receive her from the Karachi Air-Port, I participated fully for the arrangements of SMBB arrival every Jiyala (PPP Worker) of Karachi was waiting for the day of 18 October despite of the hurdles made by MQM and specially the Chief Minister Sindh Ghulam Arbab Raheem but PPP workers never gave-up. PPP Sindh formed some committees for the day of 18 October, PPP workers formed their own Security Cell for their Leader with name of Janisaran-e-Bhutto led by Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, I was one of those Janisars.
The all night Jashan (Celebration/ Party) was up on 17th and then the morning of 18th October 2007 was the day of light, happiness and celebration that our SMBB will be among us at that day after coming eight years exile in Dubai and London, the rallies from all around the country was arriving at Shara-e-Faisal (Faisal Road) Karachi holding the flags of PPP in their hands along with the families and kids dancing on the traditional music and party songs, on other side we the Janisars gathered at Bilawal House Karachi and then reached to the Air-Port together under supervision of Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza around SMBB’s truck I was sitting in front of the truck along with my friends of PSF. The each and every moment the heart beat was beating high and high when we saw the plan of SMBB landing at the air-port. At that time one of my friend was holding Quraan shareef in his hand his name is Mehmood Junejo I asked Junejo why is he holding the Holy Book? he replied that when BB will come out from the Plan I will hold this Holy Book on her head and then SMBB came out from the Plan Oh My GOD it was the moment we all were waiting for I saw all eyes dropping around us with happiness and paying thanks to GOD in the air-port and my friend holding Holy Book in his hand on BB’s head and BB came to the truck she came to the roof and stayed on the roof for long hours to see her people and workers who were waiting to welcome her back to the country.
This was one the most remarkable moment of my life while sitting on the front of the truck of SMBB shouting at people to make them away from SMBB’s truck, we formed a human chain around her Truck to save from the Suicide Bomber or attackers we were paying our duty without eating only drinking water was available and we were not hungry because the eyes of our leader was food for us at that time we saw a man with black beard, white color like Afghan or Pathan, wearing Shalwar Kamiz traditional dress holding a female kid of two years the kid was wearing the dress of PPP flag he was trying that baby to pass SMBB to hold her and kiss her but at that time SMBB went inside the truck for some rest after long hours standing. At that time we also tried to relax and stood up for half an hour, then again we saw SMBB came back in the short time I saw BB foot not wearing anything she removed her sandals, I again jumped to my place it was around 12AM of 18th October of 2007 the darkness were waiting for us, we saw that man again trying to pass his child to SMBB, suddenly she saw him and asked one of our Jinisar to take baby from him as soon he as took the Baby we saw the Blast happened the Dead Bodies of our friends and parts of Bodies and Blood was lying in the air. My friends around me jumped down to help the injured workers, some of them tried to save SMBB and the crowd of workers around truck was coming towards to see Is the SMBB save? I was lying on the same place went nowhere and praying to GOD Oh my Allah it should be the dream not reality, unexpectedly listened one more Blast and it was more heavy than the first one, I had No Sound, No Voice, No eyes I can feel I had only vomiting one of seniors Arshad Naqvi he was also injured caught my hand took me with him to the ambulance, we were running on the dead bodies of our friends and workers the road was with full of blood. It was 3AM when I was feeling well my colleagues told me that you are fine nothing hit you. I paid thanks to my GOD and asked them to tell me about BB and how is Arshad Naqvi they told me BB is safely reached to Bilawal House and Arshad Naqvi is also safe he has only some littlie injuries. I requested them to take me to the home then my friends took me to the home on the next day I went to civil hospital and donated blood for the injured and attended the funerals of the Martyrdoms and meet with SMBB.
In these explosions 140 workers of the party lost their lives, around 500 hundreds were injured and the 50 security committee the Janisars lost their lives, SMBB warned before coming to Pakistan that she has threat from the Extremists groups in the country and she also named that if I will be attacked than Genral Hameed Gull, Ch Parvez Elahi and Ijaz Shah will be responsible for my murder but they all are still alive and free no question has been asked yet from them, they all are close associates of General Parvez Mushara. She has been telling and writing about Military Intelligence Agencies of working against her and PPP to oppose liberal and secular agenda, she claimed that ISI had militant groups in Kashmir and Afghanistan who can kill her, she was secure by the human chain of Janisars and Steel Body truck not because of the security arrangements of Musharaf Govt. Then finally on the dark day of 27th December 2007 in Rawal Pindi she was attacked by the shooter and later a big blast killed so many other people along with our Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto.
Her efforts and struggle to save her father and democracy remain a lasting legacy that is deeply respected among her rivals. The government of Pakistan honored Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto on her birthday after her assassination by renaming Islamabad Air-Port as Benazir International Airport, Muree Road Rawalpindi as Benazir Road, Rawalpindi General Hospital as Benazir General Hospital, the city of Nawabshah was renamed with Benazirabad in her honor. A university in Dir Upper district of NWFP was founded in her name and Benazir Income Support Program which provides benefits to the poorest Pakistanis is named after SMBB. Then the hub of PPP Karachi the Layari has now two university Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Medical University and Benazir Bhutto University Layari.
She is still alive, yes she will be because she is one of those people who never live their lives they live for others. She lived for others. Zinda Hy BB (BB is alive)
