Daily Times

The picture of an Independence Day march by the first contingent of Pakistan Women National Guard in 1947 is a manifestation of Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan and the role that he had envisioned for Pakistani women. Women’s National Guard was established by the widow of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan. It shows leading with the National flag Begum Pasha Haroon, artist Sughra Rababi (aunt of Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla) and Begum Nusrat Bhutto, widow of PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The Quaid had believed much before Pakistan came into being that without women — there could not be any progress.

No doubt our women despite enormous hurdles have achieved much but still they have a long way to go. They have to demolish anti-gender taboos, religious inhibitions imposed by bigotry of the powerful mullacracy and restrictions embedded and imposed by feudalistic customs that continue to straightjacket space for progress of rural women while their urban counterparts have been competing with men in politics,  education and every field of socio-economic endeavour.

Indeed, Pakistan’s history would not be complete without mention of those women who played a lead role in the struggle for Pakistan. And when the country found itself rudderless to face Field Marshal Ayub Khan in engineered Presidential elections in 1965 to perpetuate one-man rule, it was Quaid’s sister Madre Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah who picked up the gauntlet.

Indeed, only a woman and a mother as strong as Begum Bhutto — could have survived the judicial murder of her husband, plotted killing of her two sons and cold blooded assassination of Benazir Bhutto by yet another dictator who is now on the run

During the life of the Quaid Ms Jinnah had nothing to do with politics but she knew well why her brother had chosen a democratic, secular and progressive future for his country. And when she realised that President Ayub Khan was out there destroying her brother’s Pakistan, she challenged the dictator. Her decision was timely. Combined Opposition Parties (COP) could not find a strong male candidate to take the bull by the horn. Had she not challenged Ayub, course of Pakistan’s history would not have changed after 1965. In the rigged polls, she was defeated but she set the ball of dictator’s decline rolling leading to his ultimate political demise.

Not that Pakistan did not have other courageous ladies, those that need special mention and who proved to be catalysts — are Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, martyred Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, giant of human rights activist Asma Jehangir and of course Nobel Laureate Malala Yusufzai. Each one has contributed immensely for the education, emancipation, empowerment of women and less privileged in Pakistan.

Begum Bhutto was an exception. Destiny chose to give her birth on 23rd March (1929) eleven years before the historic Lahore Resolution was passed paving way for the establishment of Pakistan. Indeed, her long struggle, her blood and sacrifices carved a unique niche for her in Pakistan’s history. She took on two military dictators, one more ferocious than the previous, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was incarcerated by them for his opposition to military dictatorship. She led Pakistan People’s Party founded by ZAB in 1967 to uproot the forces of status quo. PPP was his vehicle for change in Pakistani politics, unshackling the chained masses, giving them a voice and respectful existence.

Begum Sahiba’s greatness could be linked to the legendary Kurd hero Salahuddin Ayubi. I had known Begum Bhutto from the time when she was the graceful and dignified wife of Pakistan’s most dynamic foreign minister. In 1947-48 as a young member of the Women’s National Guard she spearheaded gigantic relief operations to provide shelter and succour to the millions of the uprooted refugees at a time when Pakistan had no resources. In that hour of crisis, she stood tall among the tallest that had plunged themselves in one of the biggest relief operations ever undertaken.

The true strength and greatness of her character manifested itself in times of stress and strain. When Ayub Khan jailed ZAB, Begum Bhutto kept alighted the flame of her husband’s struggle for democracy. She, however, gave her best when Bhutto Sahib was removed in 1977 coup by General Ziaul Haq. She had her head battered by his bullies, yet she led the masses, kept alive their democratic aspirations, galvanised the opposition parties in Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) through hell and high water. Though she was not alone this time as her equally gifted daughter Benazir was by her side as pillar of strength, it was her profound commitment and affection for the party workers and the masses that garnered unprecedented popular support to the democratic movement ever when General Zia had to resort to scotch earth policy to save his power.

Not only did Begum Bhutto aided by the ‘dearest daughter’ foiled General Zia’s machinations but also buried deep down conspiracies by Quislings and Trojan horses who had been bought over by Zia to hijack the PPP. Bhutto sahib from behind the prison bars could foresee their intrigues in his absence. She saved the party from the vultures within and kept the party flag high in defiance of a ruthless martial law and state oppression.

Later, due to worsening health condition she passed the mantle of PPP leadership to Benazir. No single political family in modern history has given so many lives to the cause of democracy and people of its country as did the Bhuttos. Indeed, only a woman and a mother as strong as Begum Bhutto-could have survived judicial murder of her husband, agencies-plotted killing of her two sons and cold bloodied assassination of Benazir Bhutto by yet another dictator now on the run — all in the prime of their lives.

Bhuttos were committed to reviving Quaid’s secular, liberal and progressive Pakistan. One must give credit to former President Asif Ali Zardari who steered the nation to the democratic goal after Benazir’s assassination. Constitutional reforms under him have given strength to the federation. PPP under Bilawal Bhutto as successor Chairman to his mother is determined to keep the Party flag aloft and to bury forces of obscurantism, extra-constitutionalism and revert to making Pakistan peaceful, progressive, prosperous and egalitarian society with equality to all religions and nothing to do with the business of the state.

SZAB, Begum Bhutto and martyred Benazir Bhutto were committed to reviving Quaid’s secular, liberal and progressive Pakistan. Now Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto- too are overly committed to the same goal especially when obscurantist and extra-constitutional forces under the cover of activism of dubious kind have been plotting to subvert democracy. Let that not happen at any cost — as befitting tribute to Begum Bhutto.

The writer is former High Commissioner of Pakistan and veteran journalist

Published in Daily Times, March 21^st 2018.