BB's last email

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I received the last email from Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at 12:55pm on the devastating 27th day of December, 2007. It was a directive about a news being part of our Daily Press Summary for the Chairperson. I had started sending her Press Summaries on a daily basis for 10 years starting in 1997.

This English summary comprised selected news from Sindhi, Urdu and English newspapers. One of the news of that 27th December, 2007 Summary contained a news item "PPP leader Syed Fayyaz Shah (Hyderabad) was injured along with his 7 family members in a road accident on Super Highway."

She directed me that a 'Get Well Soon' letter may be sent to Shah on her behalf. However, before her electronically-signed letter could reach Shah, she was no more. The callous terrorists took her life in an attack in Rawalpindi and she was declared martyred at 6:16pm.

Just two months back, she had survived a terror bombing in Karachi in which 180 PPP workers had been martyred and 500 others injured, majority among them maimed. But just a day later, she visited the hospital to see the wounded jiyalas.

A part of the PPP Media Cell then, I wish to share another historic communication with her here. Towards the end of 2006, I wrote to her that "In India, three million Dalits converted en masse to Buddhism on the 50th death anniversary of Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar - the tallest Dalit icon of the subcontinent - to achieve human equality and their social, economic and political rights.

As the most popular leader of Pakistan, especially of toiling classes, what would your honour suggest the Dalits of Pakistan to do for achieving the same rights in Pakistan." She was very kind to forward that email to Senator Taj Haider to hold a workshop with Dalit leaders at People's Secretariat and submit her report.

In 2007, Shaheed Bibi wanted me to apply for a reserved seat in Sindh Assembly, when I requested a ticket for a fellow Dalit political worker, Engineer Gianchand Meghwar. She was surprised upon hearing from her Political Secretary that I was not a graduate, thus ineligible to apply during the Musharraf era.

For the past 17 years, as December 27 approaches, my heart is filled with a profound mix of pride and sorrow. Come alive the memories of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto - a leader who embodied the spirit of resilience, a mother who nurtured a nation, and a beacon of hope for millions.

It has always been, and will forever remain, a great honour and source of immense pride for me to have worked closely with Shaheed Bibi during the last decade of her life. Those days and moments, etched deeply to my memory, stand as a testament to her unwavering dedication to Pakistan and its people. Despite the challenges of a male-dominated society and an often-hostile political landscape, Shaheed Bibi stood tall and proved that courage and intellect know no gender.

The media landscape during her era was vastly different from today. Newspapers played a central role in shaping public opinion. I vividly remember how she would meticulously analyse the news summaries I prepared.

Her profound understanding of national issues and her strategic, clear and empathetic responses showcased her unmatched brilliance and foresight. Every decision she made was deeply rooted in compassion, always keeping the struggles of the common people at heart.

Shaheed Bibi was not merely a political leader - she was a movement in herself. Her life was a saga of triumph over adversity, immense sacrifices, and an unwavering struggle for democracy. Her iconic words - Democracy is the best revenge - encapsulated her strong belief in the principles she lived and fought for.

Few figures in history have been as transformative as Shaheed Bibi who, even in martyrdom, became an enduring symbol of resistance against oppression and an unyielding voice for justice and equality.

As I reflect on the life of my great leader and mentor, her warm smile, her resolute spirit and her vision of a prosperous Pakistan, rooted in equality and justice, resonate profoundly in my heart.

Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto will forever be the daughter of destiny, whose guiding light continues to illuminate our path through the shadows as we march toward a brighter and more prosperous future.