When Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed returned home on October 18, 2007, after 8 years of forced exile there was a sea of people throughout to Karachi Airport.
On that day, one slogan was being raised the loudest among the people. That slogan was "Marvi Malheer ji Benazir, Benazir," Malheer is the ancient name of Malir used by Sufi Saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in the saga of Umar and Marvi.
The slogan was created by the people themselves. Because of her love for her country and her people, Shaheed Bibi was given the title of Marvi of Malheer.
Marvi is the historical character, literature and poetry of Sindh, which is a metaphor of love for the land and people. This character does not exist in any other language. The people of Sindh express their love for their land in Marvi language. Marvi belonged to a poor family of motherland, rejected the life of luxury in King Umar Soomro palace to return to her homeland and her people.
The great poet of Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, has narrated the story of Omar and Marvi in Sur Marvi. The people of Sindh sing this verse of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in dedication, in which she addresses King Umar Soomro saying, "If I die in your country away from my country Malheer, O king of Umarkot, send my body to Malir. If my body reaches Malir, I will think that I have got a new birth.
After Marvi, the metaphor of love for the country is now the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
Shaheed Bibi herself belonged to a royal family. However, instead of living a life of luxury, she sacrificed her life for her land and people.
Returning home, she not only had an idea but was sure that she would be killed. On the night of October 18 and 19, 2007, bombs exploded near her truck in her reception rally, in which more than 200 workers were martyred.
After such a big tragedy, on October 19, during a press conference at Bilawal House Karachi, when she was asked, "Will you still stay in Pakistan and run an election campaign?"
Shaheed Bibi responded in a thunderous voice without any pause that "So! 'Those' people also want me not to run election campaign and go back. Those people are against the restoration of democracy in the country, but now if democracy is not restored, the dangers for Pakistan will increase. I will stay with my people."
There is no example in the history of Pakistan of such bravery and courage. After the tragedy of October 18, while addressing every public gathering, Shaheed Bibi must have said that "Our life and death is with the people." On December 27, 2007, she breathed her last in the midst of people and embraced martyrdom.
Consciously accepting death is not an easy task. This can be done by those who can feel the fragrance of soil.
In her book Reconciliation, Shaheed Bibi wrote, "I suffered the pain of my father's arrest, imprisonment and murder and knew that such wounds of the soul never heal. I could have done anything to save my children from the pain I suffered on my father's death, but this was the only thing I could not do. I cannot leave my people."
Shaheed Bibi proved that the love for her country and people was more than the love for her children.
Shaheed Bibi wrote a long poem in English, one stanza of which is "I am also a Marvi of my people".
The Malir of Shaheed Bibi is the entire Indus Valley comprised of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are also included.
This is the reason that on October 18, 2007, people from all over Pakistan were chanting the same slogan. Marvi Malheer ji-Benazir Benazir. Only Marvi can tell how to scarifyher life for the love of her homeland. Marvi and Malir are related to body and soul.
Just like the relationship between Marvi and Malir, so is the relationship between Benazir and Pakistan. The whole of Pakistan is Malir and Benazir is its Marvi.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2022.
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