I’m nobody’s expert on Pakistani politics, although I know enough that when I saw “Charlie Wilson’s War” this weekend, I nodded with recognition when Tom Hanks’ Wilson made reference to the execution of President Bhutto, I knew he wasn’t referring to Benazir Bhutto.
Small coincidence, and what a way to return to work* this morning: Approaching my office building for the first time in two weeks, I looked up to the WJLA JumboTron to see:
BHUTTO KILLED IN EXPLOSION
By the time I collected my morning coffee and found my desk, Fox News had revised this to:
BHUTTO SHOT IN NECK
Damn. Well, it’s crazy but not a surprise, except maybe that this attempt succeeded after others failed. As I understand it, Bhutto was hardly a great prime minister — twice-removed from office on corruption charges that I presume are largely true but not the proximate cause of her ousters. Will Pakistan be thrown into further turmoil? Will this resurrect terrorism as an issue in the U.S. presidential election? At the very least, I assume her reputation outside of Pakistan as a friend of the U.S. and a representative of moderate Islam — now, to borrow a phrase, martyred — may grant her a legacy that her actual record doesn’t necessarily warrant.
One last thought: I remember back in high school, one of my junior social studies classmates was Pakistani-American, who as a secular young woman from a family that had presumably left because of the country’s highly volatile politics, idolized Bhutto and wrote her major year-end term paper about her. Her name escapes me at the moment, and I have no idea where she is today, but I wonder what she’s thinking this morning.
Update: Sue Davis, an old colleague from National Journal, writes at the WSJ’s Washington Wire:
Before news of Bhutto’s death was reported, Rudy Giuliani’s campaign unveiled a new ad this morning, entitled “Freedom,” to begin airing nationally tomorrow. … Giuliani was also the first candidate to release a statement on the death of Bhutto.
National security has taken a back seat in the last month or so of the presidential campaign; not coincidentally, Giuliani’s campaign has already received the pre-mortem treatment, even from supporters. If Giuliani has any chance of getting back into this thing, this is it.
*Oh, and if you’ve been wondering at the dearth of posts the past two weeks, wonder no more.
Image via puneetworld on Flickr.
You’re right..Bhutto was hardly a great Prime Minister, and didnt do a lot of good to the Pakistani nation both times she served. Both of her terms in office ended amid corruption scandals. Widely considered the Darling of the West, she wasnt quite the supporter of democratic principles that the media here makes her out to be. She compromised on many basic principles while trying to negotiate a power-sharing deal with Musharraf when he still had his uniform, after all he had done to stifle the independence of the Pakistani judiciary. That said, however, her assassination is surely going to hurt Pakistan and cause more instability than her re-election as Prime Minister for a third term would have.
Benazir was not a saint.
I felt bad, especially when i saw the blood in her car… but she was the biggest hypocrite i have ever seen
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?inarticleid=505123&inpageid=1879&ito=1490
I met her in Dubai about 7 yrs ago. At the Union Hyper Market (opp Safa park)Jumeirah. Before i could go upto her my little brother, abt 16 yrs old at the time approached her with a BIG and we-are-proud-of-you kind of smile and could only say, “maam i am a pakistani” she stares at him, and looks at him from head to feet, he repeated “maam, I am a pakistani” and she was abt to slap him! she just said (the normal arrogant self that she was) “I dont talk to stangers, leave me alone before i call the police!” and walks off. Pakistanis were shit for her. She had money, she had fame… she was just greedy for power…
I was very sad for the loss of life… hers as well as the ones around her.. but she was NO saint.
Of course, a mother is a mother, she was very protective…loving but what did she do for those who lost their life when she entered pakistan, what happened to the lives lost when she was in power.. WE ALL KNOW that her husband was a big criminal… and now he will lead our country??? what on earth are people doing with their beloved homeland… for who? for that hypocrite???
i feel sorry for our country…
Change the name of PPP to PFP (Pakistan Family Party), Did any body question what this new joker (Balawal) is going to do? How he is going to run a country? What is his qualification and education? Is there any educated and experience guy in PFP? This Joker (Balawal) is grownup in Dubai with a luxurious life with Pakistan’s looted money. His mother Benazir Bhutto; Queen of Dubai, was a total corrupt, her father, husband and new joker (Balawal) all these people want to loot the country. They have done it in the past; Benazir was given two chances for prime minister. I have seen myself; that only thing she had done was making country bankrupt and anarchy. Her father nationalize the industry in Pakistan in 1970s and broken the backbone of the modern privatization. This family is there to kill this country and all these jokers are happy and healthy because of our uneducated and stupid nation (so called).
I am not trying to support military, in reality military is actually responsible to bring this situation, but now we do not have any option. Only a big and real revelation may fix some problems we have; otherwise, Pakistan is hopeless case.
@Ahmed
Heh. Pakistan Family Party. I like that.