Opinion

Remembering Shaheed Bhutto

Bhutto’s era can safely be described as the Age of Revolution, leading Pakistan's first mass-based political party.

Farahnaz Ispahani April 03, 2011

Ye bazi khoon ki bazi hai, (This challenge is a blood-stained challenge)

Ye bazi tum he haro gay, (This challenge you are bound to lose)

Har ghar se Bhutto niklay ga, (A Bhutto will be born in every home)

Tum kitnay Bhutto maro gay (So how many Bhuttos will you slay)

The fourth of April will always be remembered as a black day in the history of Pakistan. On that day, in 1979, a dictator tried to extinguish the flame of democracy, demolish rule of law, silence the voice of the poor and the dispossessed, and desecrated the Constitution of Pakistan. It is the day when Pakistan’s first popularly elected prime minister, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was sent to the gallows after a show trial, with the help of a compliant judiciary — the most glaring judicial murder in recent history.

The constant struggle of the Pakistan Peoples Party and its consistent sacrifices have proved that the seeds of the social democratic ideology sown by Shaheed Bhutto cannot be easily eliminated. Today, Pakistanis view dictators as evil, while the spirit of Shaheed Bhutto lives on through the 1973 Constitution drafted by the PPP.

History conferred the honour of restoring the Constitution on the PPP just as the framing of that Constitution through unanimous consent of all provinces had been the PPP’s achievement. Under President Zardari’s leadership, the PPP helped peacefully remove another dictator, General Musharraf, and created broad political consensus to revert the 1973 Constitution to its original form.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s stature among leaders of the Third World is matchless. Shaheed Bhutto was prominent for his efforts against colonialism, imperialism and for national integration. He brought Pakistanis together and rebuilt our national identity after the calamity of the separation of Pakistan’s erstwhile eastern wing.

Shaheed Bhutto was undoubtedly the most charismatic political leader that Pakistan has ever seen. And the political party that he founded remains a popular democratic force to be reckoned with even today. Bhutto emerged as a powerful spokesman for the world’s Muslims. His leadership in strengthening cooperation among Islamic countries through the 1974 Lahore Islamic summit is now legendary.

Bhutto’s era can safely be described as the Age of Revolution. He mobilised the country’s first mass-based political party, which became the platform for the voice of people from across the country. The slogan of “Food, Shelter and Clothing” shifted the focus of Pakistani politics from theological to economic issues. Political discourse was transferred from the drawing rooms of the elite to the tharras in towns and villages — something the drawing room elite resents to this day.

Under Shaheed Bhutto’s leadership, massive transfer of resources towards the rural economy by setting higher prices for agricultural products improved farming. This process continues even today under the PPP’s stewardship. The credit for Pakistan’s nuclear capability also belongs to Shaheed Bhutto. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was started by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at the end of 1972 when he was president but, prior to it, as minister for fuel, power and national resources, he played a key role in setting up the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. He also established the Kahuta facility.

Shaheed Bhutto was also a champion of human rights, especially the rights of women. His democratic regime had a very positive and liberal attitude towards women. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, all government services were opened to women, as were education opportunities at all levels. Most people do not realise this, but the huge Pakistani diaspora today is also a result of Shaheed Bhutto’s decision to recognise the right of all Pakistanis to a passport.

Shaheed Bhutto had the courage of his conviction to risk his life rather than compromise or seek the appeasement of a dictator.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (47)

Mohammad Khan Sial | 13 years ago | Reply Some people used to be 'History' themselves. It was undeniable fact on April 04, 1979, ex-Army dictator Ziaul Haq did not hang ZAB but he hanged Pakistan itself. History has proved this. Out of four Punjabi judges including Nasim Hasan Shah had given verdict against Bhutto on 4-3 basis. Later I myself had seen the interview of Justice Nasim Hasan Shah on GEO TV in which he categorically said: "Had I liked, life of ZAB could have been saved but advocate of ZAB, Yahya Bakhtiar had made us annoyed." It was clear proof that this Punjabi Judge did not give verdict on the basis of merit but under his personal disliking. Further, there were frequent news reports oi international media that ex-Army dictator Ziaul Haq had influenced the judges to give verdict as per his desire.

justar | 13 years ago | Reply Where is your integrity girl?

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Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @Tony Khan: Please read the following thread, this conversation has been had before: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/4743/ahmadi-in-america-why-shahbaz-bhattis-death-gives-me-hope/

Tony Khan | 13 years ago | Reply @Ali: Ahmadis do not consider non-Ahmadi Muslims to be non-Muslims. We consider all kalima reciters to be Muslims as per the sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw). This accusation is just wile slander and defamation by the maulanas. Whether non-Ahmadis Muslims consider Ahmadis to be Muslims is not of great concern to Ahmadis, we care more for what Allah considers us.

Abuzar Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply I am laughing over the comments of few bias and envious- they are trying to spit on Moon by criticizing a personality like Shaheed ZAB an irreplaceable leader with high vision and extra-ordinary talent who gave Pakistan the real identity and a respectable position in international community. These envious are on fire only that "Why Bhutto after 32 years of martyrdom is ruling on Pakistan". Let me short..I bet and challenge the all critics and blamers if you all are true in your claims let show the public popularity as the legacy of Bhutto the PPP is ruling over the country wide. Don't be bias and understand the reality, Alive nation doesn't forget their Great benefactor leaders like Z A Bhutto--Jeye Bhutto Appreciating Ms Ispahani for her great article

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply I must share a funny anecdote with readers here. A few months ago president of the PPP Gillani announced thar support for the flood victims in Pakistan was coming to an end due to lack of funds. The very next sentence he announced that the National Assembly members had voted to build a 3 billion ruppee residencial lodge for themselves. PML opposed it so it must have beem the PPP that pushed through the resolution I laughed because this was meant to be a party with roti, kappara etc as it's slogan. Infact it was robbing the poor and giving to the rich!

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply How anyone can describe the PPP today as a: "popular democratic force to be reckoned with even today." is beyond me. It might have been the case under ZAB but since then the party has been overcome by the feudal elite. They may have represented socialism at one point but that definitely is no longer the point. The taxing of the large feudal landlords has been opposed tooth and nail by the large Sindhi landlords that make up the key support base of the PPP. As for the PPP support for education: Phwah, are you serious? The PPP led government is about to destroy higher education in Pakistan by disbanding the HEC. Why? Because it exposed many of the national assembly members as being frauds. Who will suffer? The poor and middle classes. The rich will continue to fly abraod and study useless subjects at foreign universities. The poor and middle classes where the real talent is, is about to be hobbled. Keep the poor in their places. That's all that the PPP and PML-N have brought to Pakistan and that should be their motto!

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @T R Khan: No one considers Ahmadis to be muslims part from the ahmadis themseleves. Ahmadis consider non ahmadis as Kaffir and "outside the pale of Islam".

irfan urfi | 13 years ago | Reply Excellent Article The best post 1strong text

Arsalan | 13 years ago | Reply Remembering ..............THE PRINCE......................by Nicolò Machiavelli.

Silent Spectator | 13 years ago | Reply I'm sure this is not the kind of response Ms. Ispahani was expecting. She was probably expecting a vast majority of comments that agreed with her thoughts and views since the Tribune is generally dubbed as a 'liberal' newspaper. The PPP, its stalwarts, and members should read these comments and realize that nobody really cares about the Bhuttos and Zardaris anymore. The PPP and its leaders have failed the people of Pakistan and no longer represent the popular opinion. They should come to terms with reality and read the writing on the wall, which reads, "We don't care for Bhutto, his ancestors, or future generations." Ms. Ispahani and her husband of course have to defend the Government and indulge in propaganda to remind us of the unending qurbaaniyan of the PPP. Of course, Ms. Ispahani and hubby have to do so to prove their loyalties and to retain their high-profile positions. We on the other hand have to do neither and can voice our true feelings without fear!

Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply And, most of all, Bhutto was prescient genius! Yeah, that is right. He said “we will make the atomic bumb even if we had to eat grass.” And, guess what? We are doing both! Who would have thunk that…Mooooo...Mooooo…Moooo...

MAD | 13 years ago | Reply @Rana Asghar: Jinnahs Pakistan is Bangladesh. you may be right on that count.

Rana Asghar | 13 years ago | Reply Bhutto was a Monster who destroyed this country! Please get your facts right before praising him. He got us into arms race with India. He convinced Ayub Khan to attack India instead of concentrating on economic progress. He was a fox & extremely cunning. Only thing Zia ul Haq did right was to hang him who destroyed Pakistan by mixing state with religion. Jinnah's Pakistan is BD where no religious party can participate in election or involve themselves in politics unlike Pakistan.

Arsalan J. Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply Are you kidding me? Today we have access to more information that just PTV. Bhutto was not a great leader of the 3rd world or Muslim nations by any stretch of the imagination. How many people in South America, Africa, or even South-East Asia even remember his name? The 1974 Islamic Conference is legendary only for it's irrelevance. What was achieved? Protesters in Tunisia and Egypt have achieved 100 times more than that conference did. His brutality towards those who opposed him is also legendary. While he may have achieved some great changes, and he may have been a 100 times better than Zia, he was a very flawed leader who failed us in many ways.

Hassan Bokhari | 13 years ago | Reply Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was truly the greatest leader this nation has ever seen. It is sad to see that some young people now a days are fed lies about his administration causing them to hate him. If you properly research Bhutto Shaheed's era of governance, Pakistan was in it's golden period. He gave the poor and oppressed a voice in this country. He took the tanga wala's and rickshaw wala's and gave them ticked to stand up in the elections, and the most surprising thing is that they all won against the landlords of their areas. If you go into areas other than the so-called "Liberal Areas" like Lahore and Karachi. You will find people who are still willing to give up their lives for Bhutto. It truly saddens me to see this youth being diverted into a state of "Useless Revolution". Revolution is always brought with competence and will-power not by only going on to the streets and shouting out slogans against the government. Bhutto did what he said, he brought doom on the Americans. He stopped all of their FREE oil supply and brought the Muslim countries together. Read what happened to America during the Bhutto regime. They finally had him killed by the man who showed most love and affection for him and that was the unfaithful dog Zia-ul-Haq who was burnt off of this Earth. Who is remembered now? Bhutto or Zia-Ul-Haq? I think we all know the answer to that. Sada Jeay Bhutto!

R. Khan | 13 years ago | Reply ZAB destroyed this Country! I wish he was never born & Pakistan would have been a much happier & prosperous country. Our poor illeterates have no idea that ZAB did irrepairable damage to the country. Nobody now change the destiny of the country which is headed towards destruction. Sad that we have educated who are blinded for their own personal gains since her husband is PK ambassador in US & she is a senator. Nobody can save this country from destruction started by ZAB by giving Islamic Constitition and mixing state with religion which is a sure shot receipe of disaster.

MAD | 13 years ago | Reply East Pakistan????

iqbal latif | 13 years ago | Reply Re-arrest and fabrication of evidence On September 3 the Army arrested Bhutto again on charges of authorizing the murder of a political opponent in March 1974. A 35-year-old politician Ahmed Raza Kasuri tried to run as a PPP candidate in elections, despite having previously left the party. The Pakistan Peoples Party rebuffed him. Three years earlier, Kasuri and his family had been ambushed, leaving Kasuri's father, Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan, dead. Kasuri claimed that he was the actual target, accusing Bhutto of being the mastermind. Kasuri later claimed that he had been the victim of 15 assassination attempts. Bhutto was released 10 days after his arrest after a judge, Justice KMA Samadani, found the evidence "contradictory and incomplete." Justice Samadani had to pay for this; he was immediately removed from the court and placed at the disposal of the law ministry. Three days later Zia arrested Bhutto again on the same charges, this time under "martial law." When the PPP organized demonstrations among Bhutto's supporters, Zia canceled the upcoming elections. Bhutto was arraigned before the High Court of Lahore instead of in a lower court, thus automatically depriving him of one level of appeal. The judge who had granted him bail was removed. Five new judges were appointed, headed by Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Maulvi Mushtaq Ali, who denied bail. The trial lasted five months, and Bhutto appeared in court on a dock specially built for the trial. Proceedings began on October 24, 1977. Masood Mahmood, the director general of the Federal Security Force (since renamed the Federal Investigation Agency), testified against Bhutto. Mahmood had been arrested immediately after Zia's coup and had been imprisoned for two months prior to taking the stand. In his testimony, he claimed Bhutto had ordered Kasuri's assassination and that four members of the Federal Security Force had organized the ambush on Bhutto's orders. The four alleged assassins were arrested and later confessed. They were brought into court as "co-accused" but one of them recanted his testimony, declaring that it had been extracted from him under torture. The following day, the witness was not present in court; the prosecution claimed that he had suddenly "fallen ill." Bhutto's defense challenged the prosecution with proof from an army logbook the prosecution had submitted. It showed that the jeep allegedly driven during the attack on Kasuri was not even in Lahore at the time. The prosecution had the logbook disregarded as "incorrect." During the defense's cross-examination of witnesses, the bench often interrupted questioning. The 706-page official transcript contained none of the objections or inconsistencies in the evidence pointed out by the defense. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who attended the trial, wrote: The prosecution's case was based entirely on several witnesses who were detained until they confessed, who changed and expanded their confessions and testimony with each reiteration, who contradicted themselves and each other, who, except for Masood Mahmood... were relating what others said, whose testimony led to four different theories of what happened, absolutely uncorroborated by an eyewitness, direct evidence, or physical evidence.[ ] When Bhutto began his testimony on January 25, 1978, Chief Justice Maulvi Mustaq closed the courtroom to all observers. Bhutto responded by refusing to say any more. Bhutto demanded a retrial, accusing the Chief Justice of bias, after Mustaq allegedly insulted Bhutto's home province. The court refused his demand

Adeel | 13 years ago | Reply So satisfying to see readers neutralising biased writing...PPP must come out of dead men's shell and do something for 170 million alive...so many chances have been given to you by the Almighty...when will you learn!

iqbal latif | 13 years ago | Reply Father of the Nuclear programme Zulifikar Ali Bhutto was the founder of Pakistan's nuclear programme. In October, 1965, the then-Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Vienna when Munir Ahmad Khan informed him of the status of India's nuclear program and the options Pakistan had to develop its own nuclear capability. Both agreed on the need for Pakistan to develop a nuclear deterrent to meet India's nuclear threat. After India's Nuclear test on May 1974. Bhutto sensed a great danger for Pakistan. In a press conferece held on May, 1974, shortly after India's nuclear test. Prime Minister Bhutto said "We will eat grass but will make Atom Bomb". On the January, 20 of 1972, Prime Minister Bhutto rallied a conference of nuclear scientists and nuclear engineers at Multan. At the Multan Conference, where 283 scientists attended, Prime Minister Bhutto said:" Look, we're going to have the bomb. He asked them "Can you give it to me? And how long will it take it to make a bomb?". The scientists replied: "Oh, yes, yes, You can have it." There was a lively debate on the time needed to make the bomb, and finally one scientist dared to say that maybe it could be done in five years. Prime Minister Bhutto smiled, lifted his hand, and dramatically thrust forward three fingers and said "Three years", I want it in three years”. The atmosphere suddenly became electric. It was then that one of the junior scientist-dr. S.A.Butt (a nuclear chemist), who under Munir Ahmad Khan's guiding hand would come to play a major role in making the bomb possible - jumped to his feet and clamoured for his leader's attention. Dr. S.A Butt Replied "It can be done in three years". Prime Minister Bhutto was very much amused and he said: "Well, much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, this is a very serious political decision, which Pakistan must make, and perhaps all Third World countries must make one day, because it is coming. So can you do it?" And the scientist replied, "Yes, we can do it, given the resources and given the facilities". ”Bhutto's answer was simple, "I shall find you the resources and I shall find you the facilities".[19] Its militarisation was initiated in January 1972 and, in its initial years, was implemented by General Tikka Khan. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was inaugurated by Bhutto during his role as President of Pakistan at the end of 1972. Long before, as Minister for Fuel, Power and National Resources, he has played a key role in setting up of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Lietuenant Generals Rahimuddin Khan and Saeed Qadir were consecutively chosen by Prime Minister Bhutto to chair the commission, but both declined. Instead Prime Minister Bhutto chose a U.S trained nuclear engineer Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan as chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Munir Ahmad Khan was a close friend of his. The Kahuta facility was also established by the Bhutto Administration, and brought under nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and the Engineer Corps' Lieutenant General Zahid Ali Akbar. Prime Minister of Pakistan

Faisal | 13 years ago | Reply He might be the great Hero by some mean but his Antecessor are making him very big ZERO :-)

iqbal latif | 13 years ago | Reply z a bhutto builder of pakstan

M M Malik | 13 years ago | Reply The destruction of Pakistan's education infrastructure by ill-advised nationalization is Bhutto's cardinal sin, which overshadows all his achievements.

Freedom of Heresy | 13 years ago | Reply So biased and one-sided review. No mention of the 'Democratic Federal Security Force' which was used to silence the opposition. The 'democratic' and 'revolutionary' overthrow of Baluchistan and KP provincial governments. The use of ruthless force against the Baloch who were resisting state excesses. So on and on and on and on...................

hassan | 13 years ago | Reply Deception is how PPP sycophants keep this country under your control, never raise or talk about the real issues always keep people divided and keep non issues alive. ZAB is gone deal with it stop spending tax payers money to celebrate someone who had lust for power as his first priority not Pakistan!!!!!!

Khurram | 13 years ago | Reply Humanity, You have hit the nail on the head, I could not have said it any better myself, For reasons which amount sheer selfishness ZA Bhutto is soley responsible for all the social-ills we as a nation suffer from.

Bunny | 13 years ago | Reply I believe he got the skills and some petriotism....but dear writer......Do we need to put those sacrifices and killings for putting our whole country in to fire....I think PPP had one leader ZAB then after that its nothing just a mess....I dont understand why people say benazir an awesome leader....please show me any betterment in economy and Pakistan.....nothing has happened so same is with PML....I think we dont have any thing whcihc could be priased for PPP and PML....Accept the truth

Abrar | 13 years ago | Reply Ms Ispahani the only sympathy I have for ZAB is that he certainly did not deserve to die on gallows, unfortunate, sad and tragic end. Otherwise he was a deeply flawed politcian both morally as well as intellectualy. He was unpredictable, selfish, bizzare, and a complex man with intelligence of a fox. Most of the problems we are facing today as a Nation from the rise of Fundamentalism to the alienation in Balochistan he is (was) directly or indirectly responsible for them. I wish he had lived long enough to see how he the self proclaimed Champion of People miserably failed all of us.

Humanity | 13 years ago | Reply The blame falls single handedly on ZAB for using giving credence to the notion of using Islam as a political tool. Please do not disrespect the spirit of Shahadaat. The country faces the existential crisis because of the soulless megalomaniacs like ZAB and Zia.

gul | 13 years ago | Reply just presenting bhutto as " maseeha" forget his tyyrant. how old you and your husband? when bhutto was confronting with mujib?

John | 13 years ago | Reply Reads like a PPP political propaganda news letter and wonder what is this doing in opinion column. No mention of Bangladesh, hmmm. No credibility to this opinion.

Saleem Kashmiri | 13 years ago | Reply Hats off to Bhutto who gave everyone ROTI KAPRA AUR MAKAN Well done Keep it up the way the party is going there won't be any country left

Saleem+H.+Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Sad that bright people like Ms. Ispahani and her husband Mr. Haqqani are so utterly entranced by personality cults. Leaves me hopeless about how the political machine can so terribly change smart people and make them acolytes. There is more to Pakistan than Bhutto for heaven's sake.

Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply What should we remember Bhutto for? dividing the country? distributing riches among his close ones? making Pakistan politics a heritage for his family? What did Bhutto do for this country!

TRUE PAK | 13 years ago | Reply plus the whole country is really sick of the 'praise bhutto'.

TRUE PAK | 13 years ago | Reply i wonder if PPP will ever do any thing more for this country than just chant slogans.there is always talk of 'vision' by PPP but i dont know what is their vision beyond corruption.farah isphani stop kidding yourself.

Asif Ali | 13 years ago | Reply ZA bhutto a true leader of masses. the man who empower our country with nuclear technology. a man who gave constitution to pakistan. a man who wanted to unite muslim ummah. We love u bhutto. it can't be that you go away from the people of pakistan.

Riaz | 13 years ago | Reply Author like this and patronage based politics are bad for Pakistan and keeping country backward. why not concentrate on real issues like poverty and education instead of worshiping personalties.

Asif Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. a true leader of masses.For 2 things which he did in his tenure, our nation could not forget, the first one was he made pakistan first muslim state having nuclear power, and second one was constitution of pakistan, Bhutto we love u. Gea bhutto.

ehabs | 13 years ago | Reply As someone who destroyed Pakistan's economy through the ridiculous policy of nationalization, Bhutto will always be remembered as the well-meaning but disastrously inept administrator. His daughter, in this and many other regards, was much better. Just my two cents.

Nadir El-Edroos | 13 years ago | Reply Madam you cant claim to have restored the constitution of 1973. The stench of various dictatorial amendments from the Zia era still stand. ZA Bhutto may have been a great leader, yet you are all failing his memory as you dither around, unable to even condemn and take to task those people who assassinated Benazir Bhutto, Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. Every years writers from the PPP return to remind us yet again of the achievements of the past. Do you think that this what ZA Bhutto, a great leader in your own words would have wanted? For his party to hark back to his achievements to clamor for legitimacy?

anonymous | 13 years ago | Reply seriously? what kind of history books have u been reading? This article represents lies that have been fed to us by all the political parties that have screwed with Pakistan. including your so called "Shaheed" Bhutto.

Talha | 13 years ago | Reply Have you heard the stories about this so called 1974 Lahore Islamic summit. Do you know the amount of alcohol, prostitutes and servants were used in this summit. Do you know of the famous incident involving the Sultan of Oman who asked for a boy to spend his nights with. This was the summit which started Pakistan's descent into Islamic extremism.

Talha | 13 years ago | Reply I just don't understand this Bhutto worship that some people indulge in knowing full and well what this man did to this country. Under Ayub, Pakistan was an international icon in development and was hailed as a great power but the opportunistic Bhutto destroyed this nation. It was Bhutto who let the treacherous Islamic parties get a foothold onto this nation. It was Bhutto who declared Ahmadi's as Non-Muslim unleashing a dark period of Mullah appeasement. It was Bhutto who started arming the Afghans. It was Bhutto who chose Zia as the Army Chief, destroying the liberal fabric of this institution. It was Bhutto who allowed Pakistan to descend into the abyss and you are acting as if he was the man who turned this country around. Finally, it was Bhutto who destroyed this country and he suffered the worst fate for it.

asim haseeb | 13 years ago | Reply miss farahnaz u really describe z a bhutto in great words always god bless u salam

T R Khan | 13 years ago | Reply The seeds of intolerance were also planted by Bhutto in 1973 when he supposedly solved a ninety year old problem. By constitutionally declaring Ahmadis as non-Muslims; Bhutto opened the floodgates of intolerance and sanctioned the state to interfere in religion.

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