Remembering Benazir Bhutto

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On the 27th of December 2007, Benazir Bhutto, an outstanding leader, politician and stateswomen who served as the 11th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996, was assassinated. She had the honour and distinction of being the first women elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country.

In a conservative Muslim society, Benazir Bhutto, as Pakistan's twice elected prime minister and having the potential of making it the third time, saw her life cut short by a brutal assassination. Intelligence agencies had already warned her that she was under threat and should not expose herself while addressing a large crowd on 29th December 2007.

But as thousands of her followers and admirers kept shouting slogans in her favour, she could not resist acknowledging their greetings. As soon as she showed up the assassin waiting for this moment fired at her killing her instantly. It was obviously a meticulously planned operation that ensured that the mission to eliminate her succeeds. Previous two or three attempts on her life while she was moving with her large number of followers had failed although hundreds of them lost their lives and many were seriously wounded.

The surge of sympathy and the support that PPP received after BB's murder made them win the national elections with relative ease. But regrettably, the party's performance while in power failed to sustain this feeling for long, and PML-N and other parties emerged in subsequent elections to fill the vacuum. Even in opposition, the PPP did not rise to the challenge.

Benazir Bhutto's demise was also a great blow to the participation of women in politics and other fields of national activity. This continues to be reflected in several ways and needs to be addressed on priority. The percentage of women voters and candidates that are put up by the political parties or as independents is far less than that of men. There are only few women holding ministerial posts. Besides, there are several other factors that influence their low participation in politics and other national activities.

The lesson to be drawn from Benazir Bhutto's demise and other unfortunate happenings is that the government and society should seriously focus on the emancipation and participation of women in national life. It should ensure their safety and promote a culture to encourage their involvement in official and private sector enterprises. Pakistan's full potential can never be realised unless women are given their due share in national and private life. And it would be the most befitting tribute that the nation could pay to Benazir Bhutto.

Life of women in most Muslim countries is somewhat restricted. It is only a few years back that the Emir of Kuwait, probably encouraged by his Western allies, proposed giving women the right to vote, but the democratically elected Kuwait parliament, under the influence of Islamic fundamentalists, outright rejected the proposal.

The Saudi crown prince tried to promote much less dramatic issues when he proposed that women be allowed to drive and given somewhat relaxation on covering faces. It was a substantial leap toward the emancipation of women despite the opposition of religious conservatives. Aljazeera – the first independent satellite television station in the region, having an enormous pan-Arab and global audience – is very popular and modern and widely watched in the Arab and Muslim countries. Many of its anchors are women.

The Arabic media too has many women as anchors, commentators and participants and it is becoming a common phenomenon. All these are signs that Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern Muslim countries are gradually opening up. This is happening despite the fact that news and other programmes are regularly censored. Sex and gender have been a major issue and cause of rift for centuries and overcoming these barriers in Muslim countries has not been easy.

Not realising that these barriers or customs are now the primary incentive and could become the driving force of the movement toward democracy. Moreover, it has to be realised that meritocracy and the movement toward democracy give rise to middle-class leaders. It is not surprising that the absence of this phenomenon is a major reason for talented individuals of our country to stay away from politics.

Their entry and fair share in politics in Pakistan will change the dynamics of politics and give rise to a better quality of leaders at different levels of government and political authority. It is critical that our political and military leadership give weightage to these principles. So far there are no signs or indication of any thinking on these lines.

A certain level of cooperation and understanding between political parties is essential for democratic governance to succeed. Looking back, what was particularly praise worthy was that the political leadership, Nawaz Sharif in particular, showed great sensitivity towards the demise of Benazir Bhutto and preferred that the incoming PPP leadership complete its tenure in office. This had a definite impact from the point of view of setting good traditions. PPP's leadership, however, did not rise to the challenge and lost in the national elections to cede power to PML-N.

The political parties by now must have realised that promoting values of democracy and human rights, though essential, is not easy. This effort has to continue, along with prevention of poverty, and maintaining law and order and sovereign authority. A consensus among political parties and realisation of the benefits of democracy is essential. So far it is not clear if this is the case.

What is obvious and a reality is that the countries that are democratic or pursue a system of governance that is people-oriented, such as in China, do prosper. Pakistan's future and its people's well-being, apart from other factors, will largely depend on how the leadership adheres to democratic principles. Our own experience of seventy-seven years further confirms that tinkering with democracy and side-tracking people's will never work. So, the best tribute to the memory of Benazir Bhutto is that the leadership adheres to democratic principles and values and it remains the defining element of governance.