Daily Times

Dictators and their mouthpieces—being guilty of their crime of committing treason—never let go any opportunity to declare her a security risk. I remember that when Pressler Amendment (1985) was on the anvil by the Congress to impose economic sanctions on Pakistan and to stop aid under General Ziaul Haq, it was Benazir Bhutto in exile who pleaded with the Americans not to punish Pakistan on account of General Zia and convinced the American Congress leadership not to impose economic sanctions or to stop US aid as such a step would be detrimental to Pakistani people. She went out of the way to plead with the American leadership for Pakistan’s sake. Many in Pakistan and abroad were surprised to see her pull Zia’s chestnut out of fire when he had killed her father and was sworn enemy to her. Obviously it was Pakistan first and foremost for her.

Bosnia was in the midst of war in 1994. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her Turkish counterpart Tansu Çiller decided to visit strife torn East European state to express solidarity with Bosnian Muslims.

She travelled to Ankara via Geneva. We had an overnight stay in Geneva. Around midnight a senior bureaucrat of Pakistan Foreign Office knocked at my hotel door. There was some emergency. He wanted me to convey to the Prime Minister that she should not go to Bosnia as there were intelligence reports that they would be fired up on by the miscreants. I contacted the ADC and was informed that she had gone to sleep as she had an attack of migraine.

I conveyed her ‘secret’ message at the breakfast table, she rubbished it and said “Whatever–We have to go, Turkish PM is waiting and so are the Bosnians who had been looking forward to our visit”. And so we went. Indeed, Bosnia was on fire, her entourage was fired upon by miscreants. Both the Prime Ministers had long discussion with the Bosnian leadership and were fully seized of their grave situation. Later Bibi took up the matter with President Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair and her efforts proved to be game changer in the region.

Like Imran Khan and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif martyred Benazir Bhutto too was under lot of pressure in her two tenures from the Americans to recognise Israel and roll back Pakistan’s nuclear programme

Indeed, had there been a lesser brave person than she, she would have just abandoned the visit halfway in Geneva. Her commitment to freedom for Bosnians was deeply acknowledged with profound gratitude by the Bosnian leader. Their President met me in London when I was High Commissioner and asked me to convey his sublime gratitude to Prime Minister Bhutto and the people of Pakistan who stood by them in their most difficult time.

Looking at the state sponsored leaks regarding the intense possibility of Pakistan recognising Israel in the immediate future as initials talks having been held secretly during the clandestine visits of some of PTI functionaries seems to have covered lot of ground for an official visit of Prime Minister Khan to Israel. Saudis are all for it, so have been the Americans since long. There is definitely going to be a sea change in Muslim countries relations with Israel.

Like Imran Khan and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif martyred Benazir Bhutto too was under lot of pressure in her two tenures from the Americans to recognise Israel and roll back Pakistan’s nuclear programme. I am privy to what she had been through resisting American pressure. She was overly defiant and brave to tell them almost to go to hell.

I remember in February 1999 she was offered safe passage to Pakistan, withdrawal of cases, a media blitzkrieg to write off all allegations of corruption and her return as prime minister a third time provided she agreed to nuclear roll back and Israel’s recognition.

Indeed, thirty-five years is a whole life time that I spent with her especially in the last ten years from 1997 to 2007 when she was in exile. Here she was a single person demolishing squad for dictators and I had the honour of working with her as and for her almost 16 hours a day. I have been privy to the negotiations she had with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, American Under- Secretary of State Christina Rocca, her successor Ambassador Richard Boucher and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prior to her meeting with President General Musharraf in Abdu Dhabi in January 2007. How she came up with the idea of Charter of Democracy, my humble role to get both Bibi and Nawaz Sharif to talk and finally why I was told by her that she would not take me with her to Pakistan since according to her– ‘’ Something horrible was waiting to happen to me” and who would be responsible for her elimination.

Since I know what her fears were and who were determined not to let her return to Pakistan and why she named General Musharraf as the main villain of the piece.

Benazir Bhutto was “an amalgamation of innocence and remarkable maturity.” Indeed it were travails of her personal tragic journey –seeing execution of her father, the killing of her two brothers) that had matured her beyond her years, and the child in her could not find expression. And when she was murdered I knew who was responsible including those powers that are inimical to peace and stability in our region and who have used us as their proxy in their conflicts.

“She was an inspiration for every little girl across the globe, especially Muslim girls. She was the hope, the beacon light, the lady with an iron and steel exterior, who seldom, if ever, faltered to allow a glimpse of the soft, vulnerable woman in her. Indeed, she was the epitome of indomitable fortitude. To survive in a men’s world like Pakistan especially in politics when the word has become synonymous for dirt, in itself, was an astounding achievement and recognition of her courage and determination.

Indeed all that she achieved against heavy odds, jackboots and barrel of the gun—only Benazir, the par excellance, could do it. She was the first to establish women courts, appoint judges, women police stations and women banks, create a women’s division in the government—to take women forward to greater empowerment and her father’s socialistic socio-economic agenda of greatest good of the largest number, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or gender.