Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was born to a father who was a renowned political figure and to a mother who was a kind-hearted humanitarian. The qualities of her parents amalgamated in Benazir’s personality in a truly Benazir, meaning, unparalleled manner.
In July 1977, when Benazir Bhutto arrived in Lahore, the people of Pakistan came out in huge numbers to greet her at the airport and showered her with unprecedented love. This was a way of expressing the need to fulfil the gap in the political landscape of Pakistan after the judicial murder of Benazir’s father and former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In her, the people demonstrated their trust to become their voice. Even her opponents acknowledged her political acumen and intelligence. After her father was taken away and after her mother became unwell, Benazir was well-equipped to carry forward the Bhutto legacy. Her parents must be immensely proud of her struggle for democracy.
Benazir Bhutto first received attention in international media when Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was being awarded a doctor of law degree by the University of Oxford. At that time, certain groups that were against Pakistan, opposed this gesture by the University. In response, in an interview with BBC, Benazir Bhutto said that her father did not need a degree from Oxford as an acknowledgement of his contributions. Once, a renowned analyst from the BBC said to me at an embassy event that Benazir was sharp and intelligent like Prime Minister Bhutto and she understood social etiquette like Begum Nusrat Bhutto. When she became the first foreign president of the Oxford Union Society, Benazir once again featured in the international media. She made Pakistanis proud with her achievements.
Benazir was well-equipped to carry forward the Bhutto legacy.
During her stay in Lahore in July 1977, Benazir Bhutto gave an interview to me that indeed reflected the words of a future Prime Minister. “You are a huge fan of your father so what was your immediate reaction when you found out that the democratic government was torn down and replaced with a military rule?”
“My parents learned about the coup around 2 AM but I found out around 3 AM. We received calls from Mumtaz Bhutto and Abdul Hafeez Pirzada. My immediate reaction was a sense of sadness and regret. It was not for any personal reasons but it was at the loss of people’s power. Pakistan People’s Party, despite immense challenges, continued to work for the interest of the people of Pakistan. I was thinking about the achievements of our democratic government which included the release of 90,000 prisoners of war in a peace accord as well as hosting the second Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Lahore. I was regretting the loss of opportunity when we were working on many reforms for the betterment of the people. At that time, the military ruler had not even announced any timeline for elections.
“What was your father’s reaction?”
“He was not worried about himself but he was only worried about his country. He was worried about Pakistan’s enemies that were interfering in internal affairs and wanted to destroy Pakistan.” Although some people tried to downplay the threat of foreign interference, talking to an international journalist on the subject, I gave examples of Indonesia and Chile. I said it was obvious to everyone how Chile’s economy was targeted and damaged. President Nixon admitted this later. Similarly, some future presidents would admit to interfering in Pakistan’s internal matters leading to a terrible and undemocratic situation in the country.
In response to another question, Benazir Bhutto said that certain countries did not want to see an intelligent political leader like Bhutto because they did not want to see Pakistan prosper into a great nation.
“What was the reason that some anti-Pakistan lobbies opposed Bhutto; was it because he was a very popular leader and stood firm against Pakistan’s enemies?”
“One of the reasons is that during his tenure, my father united the Arabs and he raised awareness amongst them about the political value of their wealth of oil. He united third-world countries against imperialism. The world powers did not appreciate that Bhutto in a position of power was working against their interests.” “In an interview, Begum Bhutto said that becoming the First Lady meant sacrificing her family life where children are deprived of parental affection but she said that her children understood these challenges and that you have an interest in politics. Your mother has worked hard to maintain a strong connection with the common people. Following in your mother’s footsteps, are you mentally prepared for such challenges?”
“I am always ready for sacrifices. My parents are in politics and politics demands sacrifices. It teaches you great resolve. As children, our personal lives suffer indeed. We do not get to meet our parents often who have dedicated their lives to serving the people. It is rare that all of us get to have dinner together. We also have to be extra careful about our conduct because we are under scrutiny being in the public eye. In friendships, we have to be careful if people want to be friends because of us or because of our parents. Everyone wants to get close to us but we cannot be close to everyone. For all these reasons, I think I am familiar with the idea of personal sacrifice for the greater good.
My mother used to say that because of luck, some people are born into rich households while others do not but this is not something of fundamental importance. The people of Pakistan are not condemned to poverty. We must end the feudal system. We should always work on our bond with our fellow human beings and work for their welfare.”
iBegum Bhutto also encouraged women to participate in political activism. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto said, “I hope to fulfil the many aspirations of my people who have called me daughter of Pakistan and who have given me immense respect. One day, the nation will witness their dream coming true.” Indeed, they did by electing Benazir Bhutto as the Islamic World’s first woman Prime Minister who left the world surrounded by her people and their love. Today, her son is carrying forward the Bhutto legacy and she must be very proud of him.
The writer is the former press secretary to Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.