Begum Bhutto, Malala and Benazir’s historic vindication
Soon after, came a historic piece of news. The Supreme Court of Pakistan — after 16 years — vindicated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s charge that the 1990 elections were stolen from her through a conspiracy hatched by then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, former army chief General (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg and their intelligence apparatus in collusion with the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad politicians that included some leaders who, even today, continue to masquerade as champions of democracy. The Supreme Court concluded that all those high and mighty individuals, in cahoots with their political puppets, shamelessly violated the Constitution.
The prophetic words of Benazir reverberated in my ears: “Inshallah, a day will come when I shall stand vindicated.” The Supreme Court has dealt a severe blow to all those who still harbour the dream to be kicked into power by the jackboots and their Taliban supporters. Despite being educated at the University of Oxford, unlike those clerics who are bigoted by their bearing, certain individuals ignore that the TTP is not killing any foreigner in its ‘jihad’, but targeting innocent Pakistanis like Malala, our soldiers, and all those who believe in enlightenment. The TTP agenda is not to free Afghanistan from what Imran Khan calls “foreign occupation” but to occupy Pakistan.
Why I have opted to correlate Malala with Begum Bhutto is relevant since the 15-year-old brave girl, after having experienced the worst during the Taliban occupation of Swat, is fighting for her life. Like Begum Bhutto and Benazir, she stood up fearlessly against the barbarians who opposed girls’ education and women’s rights. Malala’s is a commitment that follows the illustrious footsteps of Begum Bhutto and Benazir, who fought and sacrificed their lives for the empowerment of women, education of girls and the less privileged.
Although Begum Bhutto is not with us any more, her spirit must be feeling elated at the brave actions of Malala, the relentless commitment of the PPP government and the Pakistani people to fight against obscurantism and the Supreme Court verdict in the Asghar Khan petition. Malala’s gradual recovery and the Supreme Court verdict have provided rare moments of joy for a nation that has suffered and waited long to see the apex Court vindicate genuine democratic leaders rather than bailing out military dictators and their anti-democracy hirelings. The resilience of our people as manifested by Malala and the continued sustainability of democracy despite a long catalogue of intrigues, machinations and extra-constitutional interventions, symbolise our national determination for overcoming all internal and external challenges.
These landmark events need separate comments but I would like to salute the likes of Begum Bhutto, Benazir and now Malala, as well as the Pakistani people, government, and the civil and military leadership, who have remained steadfast in their commitment to pursue the destiny chosen for them by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The best tribute to the departed soul of Begum Bhutto would be to ensure — come what may — the education of girls and the rights of women, besides of course, upholding the flag of democracy, sovereignty of parliament and inculcation of the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (15)
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It is absolutely unfair to compare Malala with BB. Asif Zardari and BB are the two symbols of corruption while on the other hand Malala is an innocent little girl who has selflessly advocated the cause of education for girls. Wajid Shamsul Hassan is a known front man and a beneficiary of BB and Zardari. Therefore one can always expect him to draw such stupid parallels with an attempt to enhance the image of this corrupt couple.
The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight But they while their companions slept were toiling upwards in the night While I was reading these lines I didn't know that one had to write such essays to keep at the top
@Author: Visitors here are not members of your party. They won't applaud everything you say, difficult for you to grasp surely. You still worship spurned Goddesses. Others have moved on.
it's time to call a spade a spade. Malala stands above the rest. You would do very well if you write apolitical pieces Sir!
Your Excellency, next time you appear on News Night or Channel 4, may I suggest you not chew the illaichi (cardamom) on live TV? It is absolutely depressing to see our highest respresentative in a foreign country regurgitating like an alpine cow!
Oh the attempts to cast Benazir Bhutto as some sort of a Joan of Arc! she was aiding and whole heartedly encouraging the military and its "strategic" assets as long as they exported their "strategic" actions to India and other countries. Ms. Bhutto wanted her cake and eat it too. Except that the Chefs in khaki had different ideas. For all the good wishes that this courageous girl - Malala, deserves, Pakistanis have moved on to business as usual. Every ready with incendiary denials and blame. The shame of it is that they want the UK or some western country to provide medical care and also protect her. It is the same Western countries that Pakistanis hate. These sentiments existed before, during and after Ms. Bhutto. She did nothing, while in power, to modulate her countrymen. That is the truth despite all attempts to be selective about it.
@Arshad Silva:
Not proven? May be so, but then what were the accounts that were frozen by Swiss courts? Someone else's accounts?
@Arshad Silva: The way PPP uses delaying tactics it becomes almost impossible to finalize a case. If they had not stolen the national wealth then they should have had some moral courage to face the cases in Switzerland than to hide their faces behind the so called presidential immunity.
sorry wajid shamsul hassan, do not equate Malala to the political figures of your liking. Enjoy your ambassador ship which you owe to those figures. Malala has surpassed all your so called demigods. Innocent Malala was never power or dollar hungary. If you have some grace please keep Malala,s grace. Malala does,nt want anything more from you.
@ Noor Nabi: Those Swiss accounts have never been proven in any court of law here. Perhaps PPP has to wait for 16 years more prove Not Guilty.
@Author: Whichever way you want to turn and twist your arguments, go ahead. However, please do not drag the name of an honest and innocent child, the future of Pakistan into comparison with these two women. Need one say more?
A great Op Ed by a senior journalist and diplomat and published in a truly independent paper. Sir you are right on target about in this analysis. However, I am not as hopeful as you are. There is too much talk about the SC decision but nobody is punished even after 16 long years and there would be long drawn court battles once again. In addition the rightwing supporters of corrupt and military would simply and shamelessly not stop at attacking the victims which in this case was PPP and BB. These rightwing touts have all the excuses and diversions in the world to minimize the high crimes committed against the Pakistani people. Even when the highest court of the land has given a unanimous decision against these corrupt generals and rightwing politicians some are talking nonsense to cover their crimes.
But Malala had no accounts in Swiss banks unlike the other two women.