This was a tall order and both father and daughter became victims of Pakistani’s bloody political intrigues and callous indifference to violence. Pakistanis as well as other observers would say that this Bhutto family was apparently destined to suffer at the hands of direct and indirect military conspiracies. Real or imagined, this brief article is constructed to shed some light on the life and times of Benazir Bhutto .

To understand and unravel Bhutto ’s life and times deserve some considerations. There is a history of tension between her family and the Pakistani military; question of democracy in the country and the need to yoke the military in favor of free and fair elections; there is also the role of Bhutto family and the creation of political party activism in the country. Related to these issues are the marriage between Bhutto and the American government under President Bush .

Those who try to figure out the death of this charismatic leader and the circumstances that come together to determine her destiny cannot ignore the fact that her father had a problem with the military. The supporters of the Bhutto dynasty do say much about the role the founding father Bhutto played in the development of Pakistan as a nuclear nation. Bhutto the father is widely quoted as saying that they would rather eat grass in their quest for a nuclear bomb, what later came to be called the “Islamic Bomb.”  Despite this major achievement in the arms race between Pakistan and India Bhutto the father was not liked by the Pakistani army. He was never fully trusted and his political mistakes were later exploited by Zia ul-Haqq when he made a coup detat against him and in the end hanged him in the gallows. This was Act 1 in the drama. Act 1, Scene 2 is the next step in this deathly play of violence that disrupted the family alleged by her sister-in-law to have been executed in a power play involving her husband and the younger brother. Interestingly, this took place while Benazir served as Prime Minister.

Another brother got killed under strange circumstances. There are all kinds of allegations flying that the younger Bhutto ’s political potential was feared and seen as a threat to the Pakistani military. So the military did what they had to do to get him out of their way. True or false, his political disappearance placed him with the circle of political misfortune for the Bhutto family. In all, one could now say that the Bhutto family entered the twilight zone of political chaos not only in the antagonism between Zulficar Ali Bhutto and the Pakistani military but also in the personal clashes between Big Sister Bhutto and her brothers. What made the whole tragedy pathetic and gruesome was the role and place of her husband in the whole drama. Blamed, satirized and lampooned as a 419 Pakistani style operator, widely identified as Mr.10% a la Chief Naga of Chinua Achebe fame, Bhutto ’s husband would be very much at home among Nigeria ’s New Breeders who see the national treasury as extensions of their family egos and insurance policies. Due to this series of political handicaps and reversals Bhutto found herself mourning the death of an executed father, the death of two murdered brothers and pain and agony of raising children in exile because of the imprisonment of her husband. He was jailed for eight years while she languished abroad. .  

Those who engage in international political comparison can see many convergence and divergence between Pakistan and other countries. To its credit Pakistan is similar but fundamentally different from other Muslim countries such as Iran , Morocco , Malaysia , Senegal , Saudi Arabia or Turkey . Unlike these other countries Pakistan ironically is like Israel and America . All three countries are constructed out of an idea. These are nations that revolve around an idea developed by leaders who had a vision about a forgotten past or a new dream to be realized tomorrow. Israel is the bold reconstruction of the Israel known to Jesus almost eighteen hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem by General Titus ; America was constructed by the Founding Fathers when thirteen colonies were brought together after 1776; and Pakistan came into being in 1948 when Jinnah and others dreamed about a land for Muslims in predominantly Hindu British India. Although fears of civil war among the members of the dominant Punjabi, Shindis, Baluchis and Pathanis are entertained by certain people, the reality is that the universalism and the rivalry with India would continue to serve as effective glue for the disenfranchised and marginalized population.

In making such comparison, Nigerians can learned a few things about their points of convergence and divergence with Pakistan . The first point of divergence is the different attitudes and opinions expressed in both Pakistan and Nigeria over the idea of religious separation. During the struggle for independence in Nigeria , the word Pakistanization was poisonous to nationalists and it was linked to northern elements whose parochialism was seen as divisive and counter-Nigerian. The other points that connect the dots between Pakistan and Nigeria are within the circle of political corruption and political intrigues. Both countries have poor grades in the ratings of Transparency International. In fact there is a joke told by an Indian that people blame Nigeria as the most corrupt place in the world. Truth be told, Pakistan is number one. Why. Her leaders bribed the Nigerians. It is a joke and certainly the late Benazir would have liked to improve the moral and political standing of her country.  The regimes of Musharaf could parallel those of Babangida and Sani Abacha , Both rulers affected the struggle for democracy in Nigeria .

In assessing the life and times of Benazir Bhutto one must also look at her family and the creation of viable political parties in their country. The feudal origin of the family made them dependent on the political support from the people toiling in their lands.. The legacy of her father’s ideological fascination with leftist thoughts; and the animosity between the Bhuttos and the religious establishment constituted a big rift.  Because they depend on feudal support their party is not grounded on an institutional base as in the democratic societies of the West. Their support is not driven by political analysis of the society and by mass organization. Support is personal and limited to the charisma or the traditional authority of the leader.

What is surprising is the difference between Benazir and her father. Whereas her father leaned towards leftist position, she on the other hand latched onto the American policies of President George Bush , thereby creating an image which was hated by the Islamist radicals and suspected by diehard Pakistani nationalists. This position of Benazir was partly responsible for her dilemma of being loved by many and yet hated by many equally. Consequently,  one could contend that her weakness in forging a united front of all opposition against the Musharaf regime lies in her family history and her being a bete noire before both the military and the Islamic extremists.

In conclusion, the consequences of Bhutto ’s murder and the future of democracy in Pakistan are partly dependent on the role of the United States . Another troubling situation will be how democracy under President Musharaf without a strong opposition Leader like Bhutto is going to play out in the forth coming general election. He could damage or foster democracy through political sagacity and limited ambition. If he knows the limits of power and create the conditions for a more institutionalized political process to develop through the growing numbers of NGO’s in civil society, chances are many political competent and active Pakistanis would come to the scene and sooner or later free and fair elections would take place. This is not going to take place if the military continues to run things and political parties are created in the images of military bosses.

Furthermore, democracy after Bhutto would have to find allies beyond the ranks of the dominating feudal Chiefs who run the dominant parties. The religious groups that entertain political ambitions must go through radical mind change if they are going to be useful allies to the democratic caravan. Unless and until the feudal and religious forces go through a metamorphosis nothing is going to happen. Like Latin America where the Latifundios capture power through the army, the seminaries, universities and the political parties in those countries, Pakistan would also have to make sure that the ruling families are not wedded by marriage and political connections through the feudal homes and military barracks.

 Democracy would be a trapped animal grasping for a release.

Bhutto came out of this background and no one knows where she was going to be the next time around. She ruled Pakistan before and the results were not impressive because corruptions and human rights abuses perpetuated by her own family members and political heavyweight supporters. Perhaps she had a new dream and a new ambition to correct the wrongs of the past and to change the train of events in her family and country. However, in retrospect we can say that she came, she performed and she perished at the hands of forces she anticipated but could not stop. May the God Lord show His Mercy and may her soul rest in peace.

This was a tall order and both father and daughter became victims of Pakistani’s bloody political intrigues and callous indifference to violence. Pakistanis as well as other observers would say that this Bhutto family was apparently destined to suffer at the hands of direct and indirect military conspiracies. Real or imagined, this brief article is constructed to shed some light on the life and times of Benazir Bhutto .

To understand and unravel Bhutto ’s life and times deserve some considerations. There is a history of tension between her family and the Pakistani military; question of democracy in the country and the need to yoke the military in favor of free and fair elections; there is also the role of Bhutto family and the creation of political party activism in the country. Related to these issues are the marriage between Bhutto and the American government under President Bush .

Those who try to figure out the death of this charismatic leader and the circumstances that come together to determine her destiny cannot ignore the fact that her father had a problem with the military. The supporters of the Bhutto dynasty do say much about the role the founding father Bhutto played in the development of Pakistan as a nuclear nation. Bhutto the father is widely quoted as saying that they would rather eat grass in their quest for a nuclear bomb, what later came to be called the “Islamic Bomb.”  Despite this major achievement in the arms race between Pakistan and India Bhutto the father was not liked by the Pakistani army. He was never fully trusted and his political mistakes were later exploited by Zia ul-Haqq when he made a coup detat against him and in the end hanged him in the gallows. This was Act 1 in the drama. Act 1, Scene 2 is the next step in this deathly play of violence that disrupted the family alleged by her sister-in-law to have been executed in a power play involving her husband and the younger brother. Interestingly, this took place while Benazir served as Prime Minister.

Another brother got killed under strange circumstances. There are all kinds of allegations flying that the younger Bhutto ’s political potential was feared and seen as a threat to the Pakistani military. So the military did what they had to do to get him out of their way. True or false, his political disappearance placed him with the circle of political misfortune for the Bhutto family. In all, one could now say that the Bhutto family entered the twilight zone of political chaos not only in the antagonism between Zulficar Ali Bhutto and the Pakistani military but also in the personal clashes between Big Sister Bhutto and her brothers. What made the whole tragedy pathetic and gruesome was the role and place of her husband in the whole drama. Blamed, satirized and lampooned as a 419 Pakistani style operator, widely identified as Mr.10% a la Chief Naga of Chinua Achebe fame, Bhutto ’s husband would be very much at home among Nigeria ’s New Breeders who see the national treasury as extensions of their family egos and insurance policies. Due to this series of political handicaps and reversals Bhutto found herself mourning the death of an executed father, the death of two murdered brothers and pain and agony of raising children in exile because of the imprisonment of her husband. He was jailed for eight years while she languished abroad. .  

Those who engage in international political comparison can see many convergence and divergence between Pakistan and other countries. To its credit Pakistan is similar but fundamentally different from other Muslim countries such as Iran , Morocco , Malaysia , Senegal , Saudi Arabia or Turkey . Unlike these other countries Pakistan ironically is like Israel and America . All three countries are constructed out of an idea. These are nations that revolve around an idea developed by leaders who had a vision about a forgotten past or a new dream to be realized tomorrow. Israel is the bold reconstruction of the Israel known to Jesus almost eighteen hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem by General Titus ; America was constructed by the Founding Fathers when thirteen colonies were brought together after 1776; and Pakistan came into being in 1948 when Jinnah and others dreamed about a land for Muslims in predominantly Hindu British India. Although fears of civil war among the members of the dominant Punjabi, Shindis, Baluchis and Pathanis are entertained by certain people, the reality is that the universalism and the rivalry with India would continue to serve as effective glue for the disenfranchised and marginalized population.

In making such comparison, Nigerians can learned a few things about their points of convergence and divergence with Pakistan . The first point of divergence is the different attitudes and opinions expressed in both Pakistan and Nigeria over the idea of religious separation. During the struggle for independence in Nigeria , the word Pakistanization was poisonous to nationalists and it was linked to northern elements whose parochialism was seen as divisive and counter-Nigerian. The other points that connect the dots between Pakistan and Nigeria are within the circle of political corruption and political intrigues. Both countries have poor grades in the ratings of Transparency International. In fact there is a joke told by an Indian that people blame Nigeria as the most corrupt place in the world. Truth be told, Pakistan is number one. Why. Her leaders bribed the Nigerians. It is a joke and certainly the late Benazir would have liked to improve the moral and political standing of her country.  The regimes of Musharaf could parallel those of Babangida and Sani Abacha , Both rulers affected the struggle for democracy in Nigeria .

In assessing the life and times of Benazir Bhutto one must also look at her family and the creation of viable political parties in their country. The feudal origin of the family made them dependent on the political support from the people toiling in their lands.. The legacy of her father’s ideological fascination with leftist thoughts; and the animosity between the Bhuttos and the religious establishment constituted a big rift.  Because they depend on feudal support their party is not grounded on an institutional base as in the democratic societies of the West. Their support is not driven by political analysis of the society and by mass organization. Support is personal and limited to the charisma or the traditional authority of the leader.

What is surprising is the difference between Benazir and her father. Whereas her father leaned towards leftist position, she on the other hand latched onto the American policies of President George Bush , thereby creating an image which was hated by the Islamist radicals and suspected by diehard Pakistani nationalists. This position of Benazir was partly responsible for her dilemma of being loved by many and yet hated by many equally. Consequently,  one could contend that her weakness in forging a united front of all opposition against the Musharaf regime lies in her family history and her being a bete noire before both the military and the Islamic extremists.

In conclusion, the consequences of Bhutto ’s murder and the future of democracy in Pakistan are partly dependent on the role of the United States . Another troubling situation will be how democracy under President Musharaf without a strong opposition Leader like Bhutto is going to play out in the forth coming general election. He could damage or foster democracy through political sagacity and limited ambition. If he knows the limits of power and create the conditions for a more institutionalized political process to develop through the growing numbers of NGO’s in civil society, chances are many political competent and active Pakistanis would come to the scene and sooner or later free and fair elections would take place. This is not going to take place if the military continues to run things and political parties are created in the images of military bosses.

Furthermore, democracy after Bhutto would have to find allies beyond the ranks of the dominating feudal Chiefs who run the dominant parties. The religious groups that entertain political ambitions must go through radical mind change if they are going to be useful allies to the democratic caravan. Unless and until the feudal and religious forces go through a metamorphosis nothing is going to happen. Like Latin America where the Latifundios capture power through the army, the seminaries, universities and the political parties in those countries, Pakistan would also have to make sure that the ruling families are not wedded by marriage and political connections through the feudal homes and military barracks.

 Democracy would be a trapped animal grasping for a release.

Bhutto came out of this background and no one knows where she was going to be the next time around. She ruled Pakistan before and the results were not impressive because corruptions and human rights abuses perpetuated by her own family members and political heavyweight supporters. Perhaps she had a new dream and a new ambition to correct the wrongs of the past and to change the train of events in her family and country. However, in retrospect we can say that she came, she performed and she perished at the hands of forces she anticipated but could not stop. May the God Lord show His Mercy and may her soul rest in peace.

Robot  Villager

# 1 var sbtitle9941=encodeURIComponent(The Murder ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 28.12.2007 01:55

Frisky Larr  Villager

# 2 My sister, This article is just too long and cannot be read in-between office work. One would need a whole time off to digest it. In a nutshell however, Benazhir Bhutto is a victim of her lust for political power. Charges of corruption involving her husband and some Swiss financial connections have been credibly portrayed by respectable media establishments as not made up out of thin air. She was dumped two times from the seat of PM all on grounds of corruption charges. This time though, the Americans hindered Musharaf from trying her because they saw a credible ally in her in their so-called war against heaven and earth! If Bhutto was smart enough, she should have seen the writing on the wall after the failed assassination attempt that greeted her triumphant home-coming. Nobody talks today, of the hundreds that died in that process. Ms. Bhutto only had her eyes on the seat of PM and the very good chances of winning the elections and probably underrated or even ignored the very potent threat unleashed by tribal militants and fanatics. All in all, there are times in which personal ambition and lust for power should be shredded at the altar of prudence and strategic survival! May her soul rest in peace. A sound analysis though! Posted by Frisky Larr| 28.12.2007 02:48

NWANZA  Villager

# 3 This article was well written, and the analysis lay out chronologically. It is a sad story in a world that is going insane. Dooms day prophets will jump on this one to make us run to their churches, and empty our pockets seeking salvation. Hope this kind of wickedness does not infect our country, as we have similar symptoms of bad governments. Niger Delta has been simmering for a while, and multi-National corporations are fleeing to more stable environments. There is a spooky feeling that Nigeria is very close to the edge in terms of the evil forces pulling on her very foundations. Most of her problems are self-afflicted, and lack of cohesion on governance issues. Please analyze the situation in Nigeria, and tell us what the crystal ball says Posted by NWANZA| 28.12.2007 03:11

overdryv  Villager

# 4 If the truth must be said, Benazir Bhutto's death is the result of unquenchable taste for power. What does she stand to change in Pakistan that eluded her as a two time PM? She was merely riding on the fame of her late father that created the Bhutto's dynasty to come back to power. Otherwise, Pakistan which practices militant islamism, has no place for power seeking women. Her death effectively marks the end of a dynasty in politics which has mostly negative inputs everywhere. A dynasty is a modern form of monarchy which the world has come to reject.Like FL said what happened at her return which claimed hundreds of lives should have made her to rethink her position, but a fly that is destined to die does not perceive the smell of s**t. Posted by overdryv| 28.12.2007 04:02

mulan  Villager

# 5 Eucharia, Quite an incisive analysis, thanks for the write up. I was discussing her death this morning with someone whose opinions I regard highly and our conversation was not too far from what you opined below... Those who engage in international political comparison can see many convergence and divergence between Pakistan and other countries. To its credit Pakistan is similar but fundamentally different from other Muslim countries such as Iran, Morocco, Malaysia, Senegal, Saudi Arabia or Turkey. Unlike these other countries Pakistan ironically is like Israel and America. All three countries are constructed out of an idea. These are nations that revolve around an idea developed by leaders who had a vision about a forgotten past or a new dream to be realized tomorrow. Israel is the bold reconstruction of the Israel known to Jesus almost eighteen hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem by General Titus; America was constructed by the Founding Fathers when thirteen colonies were brought together after 1776; and Pakistan came into being in 1948 when Jinnah and others dreamed about a land for Muslims in predominantly Hindu British India. Although fears of civil war among the members of the dominant Punjabi, Shindis, Baluchis and Pathanis are entertained by certain people, the reality is that the universalism and the rivalry with India would continue to serve as effective glue for the disenfranchised and marginalized population. In making such comparison, Nigerians can learned a few things about their points of convergence and divergence with Pakistan. The first point of divergence is the different attitudes and opinions expressed in both Pakistan and Nigeria over the idea of religious separation. During the struggle for independence in Nigeria, the word Pakistanization was poisonous to nationalists and it was linked to northern elements whose parochialism was seen as divisive and counter-Nigerian. The other points that connect the dots between Pakistan and Nigeria are within the circle of political corruption and political intrigues. Both countries have poor grades in the ratings of Transparency International. In fact there is a joke told by an Indian that people blame Nigeria as the most corrupt place in the world. Truth be told, Pakistan is number one. Why. Her leaders bribed the Nigerians. It is a joke and certainly the late Benazir would have liked to improve the moral and political standing of her country. The regimes of Musharaf could parallel those of Babangida and Sani Abacha, Both rulers affected the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. Nigerians will do well to pick a few lessons from the events that have been ongoing in her country for some time now. Bhutto's death is very unfortunate and points to the beginning of worse things going forward for Pakistan. But well, she has done her bit for that country and one only hopes that her death is not in vain. May her soul rest in peace... Posted by mulan| 28.12.2007 09:32

udokaamah  Villager

# 6 The death of Benazir Bhutto is very revolting. Of greater concern to the rest of the world however, is the circumstances of her death and the forces responsible for it. And that is where i differ with the author of this article. The concepts of democracy and corruption is of very little consideration in discussing Mrs. Bhutto's death. Her relevance to Pakistan and to the balance of power in the world was the over-aching anxiety of a nuclear Pakistan falling into the hands of Islamic Fundamentalists and Islamic Fascists, the same group that is responsible for her death and that has made several attempts on the life of Musharaff. That is the nightmare scenario. Several years ago, the Americans fixated on democratic ideals alone, demanded that the Shah of Iran reform and democratize. He did. And Iran fell into the hands of the Iranian Mullahs. Now we have a belligerent Iran, with a substantial reserve of oil and a desire to develop nuclear power for military purposes. The same thing happened in the Palestinian territory with Hamas controlling Gaza. In a post 9/11 world, we would prefer a corrupt and dictatorial tyrant, who is a centrist, to having an Islamic Fascist with a desire to destroy civilization and impose Islam on the rest of the world. That is the hope of Al-Queda. They killed Bhutto because she was not one of them. Corruption was the least of their concern. She would have been killed even if she was as clean as a whistle. Posted by udokaamah| 28.12.2007 10:44

Onari  Villager

# 7 =overdryv;4294975885>If the truth must be said, Benazir Bhutto's death is the result of unquenchable taste for power. What does she stand to change in Pakistan that eluded her as a two time PM? She was merely riding on the fame of her late father that created the Bhutto's dynasty to come back to power. Otherwise, Pakistan which practices militant islamism, has no place for power seeking women. Her death effectively marks the end of a dynasty in politics which has mostly negative inputs everywhere. A dynasty is a modern form of monarchy which the world has come to reject.Like FL said what happened at her return which claimed hundreds of lives should have made her to rethink her position, but a fly that is destined to die does not perceive the smell of s**t. According to Martin Luther King Jnr, "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." To paraphrase him..."He or she who has nothing to die for has nothing to live for" This ascension I totally agree with. How I wish in Nigeria we have men and women who have something to die for and follow it through as Benazir Bhutto has done for Pakistan, if we have such men and women our situation will not be as bad as it is today. I can not understand why we complain that her death is as result unquenchable taste for power. Guess what? We think here that her assassination is the end of Pakiston democracy, that will be short sighted...Pakistan will benefit from her sacrifice and come out a stronger nation. The extremist can kill the messenger but can not kill the message. The message is sent and it is a war between civilization and extremism in Pakistan. lets hold our breadth as events unfold. Eucharia, Good piece. Thanks. Posted by Onari| 28.12.2007 11:52

Enforcer  Villager

# 8 I do not understand why Muslim countries have difficulty grasping the benefits of a democracy. I hope someone will tell me one day. The Islamic religion does not in anyway teach against democracy. It actually encourages it. Bhutto has devoted her life to making Pakistanis understand and accept democratic principles. May her soul rest in perfect peace Posted by Enforcer| 29.12.2007 05:50

sammyrob  Villager

# 9 Frisky, Your reply could not have been better put. You said all that could have been said about this over ambitious woman who commited the same blunder as our MKO by assuming that she was untouchable obviously under the delusion of American protection. They now know better though, rather late! Thanx again. BigSam. Posted by sammyrob| 29.12.2007 07:25

Son of the Delta  Villager

# 10 =overdryv;4294975885>If the truth must be said, Benazir Bhutto's death is the result of unquenchable taste for power. What does she stand to change in Pakistan that eluded her as a two time PM? She was merely riding on the fame of her late father that created the Bhutto's dynasty to come back to power. Otherwise, Pakistan which practices militant islamism, has no place for power seeking women. Her death effectively marks the end of a dynasty in politics which has mostly negative inputs everywhere. A dynasty is a modern form of monarchy which the world has come to reject.Like FL said what happened at her return which claimed hundreds of lives should have made her to rethink her position, but a fly that is destined to die does not perceive the smell of s**t. In essence are you saying that the government of the day(Musharaff) is practising islamic extremism? Posted by Son of the Delta| 29.12.2007 09:30

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